How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days
by amehanaa
Summary: Lucy and Natsu are determined to take the necessary steps to fulfill their lifetime dreams. Little do they know, they have both given themselves 10 days to achieve it.
1. Chapter 1

**Long time no see, my friends! Suddenly, nearly two years have passed and I haven't posted a story since. But I am finally back with a new story! **

**What has happened in my life these past two years, you ask? So. Much. Too much to explain here, but I can assure you that my life is so sweet, colorful, and worth it. I'm genuinely living my best life in college and I'm so grateful that it's only going to get better.**

**Well, here we have a new story! I'm not sure how much my writing style has changed, but you can be the one to judge.**

**I actually have written this story all out, so updates will be pretty fast! I hope to have all the chapters posted in one month. Let's do this! **

**I hope you all enjoy this first chapter! See you very soon with the next one. :)**

* * *

If Lucy doesn't start her mornings with a bagel slathered with strawberry cream cheese, it is not a good morning. The satisfying _crunch _of the first bite is just as pleasant as birds chirping.

Today is a good morning as Lucy eats her bagel with a content smile as she enters her office building. She makes a beeline towards the elevator. With her free hand, she scrolls through her phone to see if there are any updates.

"Fifty new comments," she whispers to herself.

Unsure whether to be proud or disappointed, she sticks her phone back into her purse and returns her attention to her half-eaten breakfast.

In between bites, she observes the lobby through the glass walls of the elevator. People from all over bustle through the area, all consumed by their own lackluster agendas. The higher she elevates, the more everyone blends together.

There isn't anyone who stands out more than the other—how fitting.

This is what it's like where Lucy works. It's the same routine every week: Mondays are for new ideas, Tuesdays are for settling with an idea, Wednesdays are for presentation, Thursdays through Saturdays are for writing, editing, proofreading, and Sundays are for posting.

Today is Tuesday, which means Lucy needs to decide what she wants to write for this week's article. Normally, she'd walk into her office with an itinerary. But this week, she finds herself feeling lost and uninspired to settle with an idea.

She doesn't let this affect her mood, though. Entering her designated floor, she holds her breath while walking through the experimental smells drifting in the air. Once she smells the familiar booze with a special ting to it, she sits in the open desk next to it.

"Is that blueberry, Cana?" Lucy asks her coworker frantically typing at her computer.

"Cranberry, actually," Cana responds through her types. "I've been experimenting this drink all week. I think this is going to be my best review yet!"

"I still can't believe Erza is letting you do this to yourself." Lucy shakes her head slightly, feeling a sense of pity as Cana appears to be in shambles.

"It's a privilege more than anything." Cana sends Lucy a grin over her shoulder, completely oblivious to her wild eyes. "I mean, how many people get paid for drinking unhealthy amounts of alcohol just to write a review on it?"

"I think I can see why it's not a popular job," Lucy responds. She returns to her own computer and purses her lips in thought. She has a list of what she could do for this week, but none of her ideas are close to what she actually wants to write.

Cana notices Lucy's blank stares. "Can't decide what to write this week?"

"I have some ideas," Lucy answers, half-lying. "I'm just not sure which one to pick."

"How about a follow up on that survey you did a couple of months ago? The one about lip gloss?" Cana suggests.

It takes every part of Lucy's physical being to hold back her cringe. "Yeah, I could do that."

"Everyone likes reading about lip gloss," Cana states simply, returning to her typing.

"Not everyone," Lucy mutters beneath her breath.

This is also what it's like every week. Pretending to love cheap cosmetics, the latest fashion trends, celebrity rumors, abs-guaranteed-exercises, and everything else in between. Lucy has mastered the art of pretending to be fully invested in these ideas.

Really, her dream is to have her own writing business that covers stories like how Fiore became the way it is, why the locals are the way they are, and highlight the hidden, creative minds throughout the city of Magnolia. She wants Fiore's hidden voices to finally have some light—that's all.

She thought joining this company would be the doorway to more opportunities to pursue her dream. And yet, here she is, already have worked two years without any progress. For now, she remains at a company where its sole purpose is to make women's lives easier one hairstyle, workout, rumor, and lip gloss application at a time.

Lucy's ultimate desires are easy to suppress throughout the day, but it doesn't seem to be working as effectively today.

"Do you think you're going to be ready to present to Erza tomorrow?" Cana asks once the work day is almost over.

"I'll figure it out." Lucy releases a heavy sigh, tilting her neck to each side with a relieving _pop_. It's not like she has much of a choice—she has to figure it out or else.

"We can go drinking tonight if you want," Cana offers.

"The only thing you should be drinking tonight is water." Lucy nearly scolds, standing from her seat and collecting her belongings. She places a water bottle next to Cana's desk. "I have plans tonight with Levy, but thanks, anyway. See you tomorrow."

Before Cana can convince her like she has done plenty of times before, she leaves the office building. Like any other city, cars cover the streets like mindless ants. The sunset hides behind the buildings, allowing Lucy to be guided by the flickering streetlights.

She strategically makes her way through the traffic, travels through three subway stations, and eventually arrives to her apartment. She unlocks her front door, being met with the delicious smell of dinner.

"Welcome back, Lu!" a voice sings out from the kitchen.

"Hey, Levy," Lucy smiles at her best friend and sets her purse down on the counter. "What's for tonight?"

"Dumplings," Levy announces proudly. "Are we still watching our show tonight?"

"Of course we are," she nods. The two exchange an excited smile before Lucy takes out her phone and reads another update. Who knew a trivial review about makeup could get so many comments?

After indulging in Levy's famous dumplings, Lucy tries to find any sense of inspiration for what to write this week. She thought of how she could write about how to eat healthy while eating dumplings, but she remembered that Evergreen wrote something similar last year.

"You okay? You're quiet tonight," Levy comments as they settle onto the couch minutes before their beloved TV show.

"I have no idea what to write this week," Lucy admits, running a hand through her hair. "I just want to write what I want to write, you know? I'm tired of writing all of this nonsense."

"It's okay," Levy reaches over and rubs Lucy's shoulder for comfort. "You're going to get there, okay? For now, let yourself enjoy the show. I read some spoilers that it's going to get juicy tonight."

"You said you weren't going to read spoilers without me!" Lucy proclaims, scoffing as Levy giggles mischievously.

Lucy decides to accept her best friend's advice, deciding that her article is more trivial than the show. But after this, she is definitely going to have to choose an idea.

"He should just dump her already!" Levy groans loudly as the episode cuts to a commercial.

"There has to be a reason why he keeps staying with her," Lucy theorizes aloud. "She has treated him horribly all episode. He wants something from her."

"Or maybe she wants something from him," Levy retorts. "They're not even a good pair, anyway. Ugh, I'll be right back. I need a refresher."

Lucy can't help but laugh to herself at Levy's dramatic expressions. She hopes that someday her audience will also react in a way like Levy. Her work will cause her audience to feel riled up, whether it be out of inspiration to take action or enragement and throw a fit.

At the same time, Lucy feels an emotional wall for the characters in the TV show, which is the complete opposite of Levy. Lucy can't remember the last time she has felt anything remotely related to love, let alone infatuation.

What was it like to feel so helplessly in love? What a foreign idea.

With the sound of Levy's quick steps back to the couch matching the steady thump of her heartbeat, the gears in Lucy's head gradually begin turning. When the TV show returns from commercial, it hits her.

"I have an idea on what to write!" Lucy exclaims suddenly.

"Shh, tell me later!" Levy waves her off, but Lucy doesn't care.

A grin stretches across her face. The idea is risky. It might not work out. It's not going to be easy.

But if each article she writes is one step closer to her dream, she's determined to take that next step.

* * *

"Come in, Lucy!"

Lucy opens the door to a spacious office, windows displaying the buildings of Magnolia. It's the classic office that anyone would dream of having—that is, anyone who only wishes to write about nonsense all the time.

"Hi, Erza," Lucy greets her boss. "I'm here to present my idea for you."

"It took you longer than I expected, but I can squeeze in some time for you. You can sit down," Erza beckons her. "What do you have for me?"

"It's going to be a personal story this week, but with a twist. Here are my ideas," Lucy explains while sliding her a notebook with all her scribbled ideas.

Erza squints at her handwriting, but they soon return back to normal. Much to Lucy's delight, interest swirls in Erza's eyes. She begins to nod with an amused smile, glancing at Lucy above her glasses.

"So, you're going to date a guy in reverse? How will you do that?"

"I'll find ways to drive him away," she answers. "I'll use mistakes that women typically make. It'll be an article of what not to do when you're dating someone. I'll keep a journal about it and record my findings."

"How to lose a guy in ten days," Erza echoes Lucy's final notes. "I think you've struck gold here. How did you think of this?"

Lucy can't hold back her satisfied smile. "This TV show I watched last night gave me some inspiration. Do you approve of my idea? In terms of posting, I won't be able to post on Sunday due to the length of the experiment."

"We can afford that if the execution is as good as the idea," Erza responds.

Although her words come out discouraging, Lucy takes a deep breath to ignore the looming pressure. She knows this isn't going to be an easy article to write, but she's willing to sell a kidney at this point.

"I'm going to a gathering tonight," Erza mentions, causing Lucy to perk up in her seat. "There will be plenty of men. Would you like to join me and find your experiment?"

Lucy doesn't like the idea of calling her future date an experiment, but she can't take back this opportunity. "I would love to come!"

"Okay, see you then. Now, if you would excuse me, I have some strawberry cake to eat."

Understanding that this is Erza's way of kicking her out of her office, Lucy collects her belongings and nearly dances out of the office. There isn't any room for anxiety for what she has gotten herself into. Right now, there is just pure bliss.

The outside air has never felt fresher on Lucy's skin as she makes her way back home for the day. Even though most of her articles have been nonsense, there is always a pre-article excitement.

"Levy, my boss accepted my idea!" Lucy shouts into her phone, her voice contained by the crowd surrounding her.

"That's awesome, Lu! I knew you could do it!" Levy cheers her on. "You're off work early, right? Come to the bakery and I'll treat you!"

"You don't have to invite me twice. I'll be right there," Lucy responds happily.

After hanging up the call, Lucy isn't able to hide the bounce in her step. She'll never admit this aloud, but the high of getting Erza's approval is almost as gratifying as her morning bagels.

Lucy pauses at a crosswalk, holding a staring contest with the red light across the street. She doesn't hesitate once it turns green; however, the first step she takes on the street matches with a screech.

"Oh, my—"

"Are you alright?!"

Lucy's eyes are almost bulging out of its sockets as she watches a man jump off his motorcycle and approach her with eyes the same size.

"Are you alright?" the man repeats, searching her for any injuries. "I wasn't expecting you to be there when I was turning."

"I-I'm okay," Lucy stutters, finally catching up with her ragged breaths. "It was my fault. I should have looked before I started crossing."

"I'm just glad you're not hurt." He lets out a relieved sigh. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay," she assures. She watches as the man shivers, almost as though to release the idea of what could have just happened. Although he wears a helmet with a tinted visor, she can tell he isn't bad looking. Could he be the one for her experiment?

"Well, since we're both good here, I'm heading out. Stay safe." The man nods his head as he begins to return to his bike.

Lucy moves her foot to step towards him. But by the time she realizes that there is no way she could ask someone out after being nearly trampled, the man is already zooming away.

"Note to self," Lucy mumbles, carefully walking across the street. "Just go for it next time."

* * *

The idea of running someone over after driving a motorcycle for less than a week is enough for Gray to shiver through his jacket. He can vividly see how the woman's eyes widened and jaw dropped in a matter of seconds. Gray deletes the image from his mind as quickly as possible.

"Hey, where have you been?!" a voice shouts out to Gray as he rolls towards the front of the fire station.

"Sorry, I got caught up in something," he explains, trying not to show that his voice is still shaky. "Anyway, here's your lunch. You owe me one."

"Owe you for what?" a man snatches the bag from Gray's hands. "Juvia gives you these for free, anyway."

"Not the point, Natsu." He rolls his eyes, following his friend to an outdoor table. "You're going to have to teach yourself how to cook someday."

"I do know how to cook," Natsu retorts. "I just cook at my own convenience."

Gray stifles a laugh while shaking his head. "Microwaveable meals don't count."

The two bicker—occasionally getting physical—until Natsu catches a glimpse of Gray's sparkling motorcycle in his peripheral vision. He pauses just for a second. "How's your bike?"

"I haven't killed anyone yet," Gray responds with a nonchalant shrug.

"My bike is cooler, anyway." Natsu waves his hand in dismissal. "You're welcome for getting you that deal, by the way."

"Yeah, yeah," Gray also lifts his hand to wave him off. He's positive that Natsu will never let him live that down. He is about to say they should race someday, but he notices the time.

"Hey, I need to head out, but I wanted to mention that Juvia is hosting a party tonight. You can come if you want."

"What's the menu look like?" Natsu asks.

"I can tell Juvia to think of you," Gray responds, causing Natsu to grin. "Come to my place in a suit."

"Alright, I'm in," Natsu nods in acceptance. He follows Gray towards his bike, munching on the remains of his baby carrots. It isn't until Gray is almost a street away when a thought surfaces into Natsu's mind.

"Does he expect me to bring a date?" he mutters to himself, going back inside the station.

Natsu's memory is blurry on the last time he was romantically involved with a woman. Sure, he has had his share of relationships, but there came a day when none of it was enjoyable as it used to be. Now that he is a fresh 26, Natsu wants more than a pointless, ten-day fling.

Knowing fully well that the food at the parties Juvia hosts is some of the best, Natsu purposely skips snacking throughout the day. It makes his time at the station _a lot _more difficult than it needs to be, but it's worth it.

By the time he takes a quick elevator trip up to Gray's apartment later that evening, his stomach growls louder than the blow dryer Gray holds onto as he opens the door.

Gray whistles, taking in Natsu's attire. "Looks like you're dressed to meet the love of your life tonight."

"Good one," Natsu scoffs and enters the apartment. "Does Juvia know you use a blow dryer?"

"Yes, she does. She appreciates it," Gray quips back.

Natsu can't stop himself from wandering into the kitchen, searching for just a nibble of a snack. It isn't hard to spot Gray's collection, snacks of all types covering the pantry.

A pit of envy settles in Natsu's stomach. Not for the snacks themselves, but for the guarantee that the pantry will always be filled. Natsu still isn't quite sure how Gray landed the career he has. He certainly deserves it, though. He has always been skilled at talking to others, especially if it's to persuade.

As a result, Gray's career has gifted him a luxurious apartment with luxurious amenities. But it's not the tangible items that Natsu envies the most—it's the connections and network of people he knows.

Natsu reaches for a box of crackers until he hears Gray's footsteps behind him. "You ready? Juvia is about to pick us up."

"Readier than I'll ever be," Natsu responds, stuffing a couple of crackers into his mouth. He can't hold back his laugh at Gray's eye roll, puffs of cracker dust sparkling across the air.

"You love food so much. I wonder if you have any game left," Gray remarks.

"Why wouldn't I?" Natsu raises his brows.

"Do you think you could get a girl tonight?" Gray challenges.

"For how long?"

Gray's eyes light up at the question, which makes Natsu immediately regret his question. Giving Gray the opportunity to manipulate the duration of this bet is one of the worst moves he could have ever made.

"Ten days," Gray answers eventually.

"Ten days?" Natsu repeats incredulously, but hastily changes his tone. "I can do that. What do I get in return?"

"Anything you want," Gray shrugs simply. "As long as you stay with the girl a full ten days, of course. No matter how difficult she gets."

Natsu is quiet as he tries to form his words. "After this bet, I want you to get my name out there." His voice is firm. "I want to be recruited to a place that has more activity."

It appears that Gray is holding his breath, but the image fades away as he nods. "Really, I've been wanting to do that for you sooner or later. I can tell how disappointing Magnolia has been for you."

Natsu smiles thinly at Gray's words. "Yeah. I'm ready to get out of here."

"Well, if you work hard enough, maybe you will," Gray confirms with newfound amusement in his eyes. "Maybe after these ten days, you can get that girl to move away with you."

"You sure have quite the imagination, Ice Princess."

Gray is about to shoot back with one of the many nicknames they have for one another, but the ring of his phone beats him to it.

"Yeah, we'll be right out."

"Actually," Natsu begins, reaching for the keys on the wall. "I'll follow you. Nobody knows how this night might end."

"You're lucky that you know how to ride a bike," Gray remarks.

"You're lucky that I taught you!" Natsu retorts, following his friend out of his apartment.

With that, Natsu revs the motorcycle and follows Gray and Juvia's sleek car. He isn't sure what this night will hold, but he ignores the annoying buzz in the back of his ears.

So what if he said he was tired of pointless, ten-day flings? Those flings weren't going to lead him to a new job opportunity. This fling, however, is going to be one of the most rewarding bets he has ever done.

If this fling is one step closer to his dream, Natsu is determined to take that next step.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two, here we go! **

**I completely forgot to mention that I received the idea for this story after watching a rom-com with the same name. It literally screams early 2000s and it's great. ****The main characters also scream Nalu, so I'm here for it!**

**Also, thank you everyone for the reviews! I think I've forgotten how this whole posting chapters thing works. I genuinely was surprised to see reviews LOL.**

**Well, let's get this show on the road! See you soon!**

* * *

Lucy's leg rhythmically bounces as she peers out the taxi window, Magnolia's city nightlife breezing past her. She would have preferred attending this gathering with Erza; she figured that wasn't an option when all she received was a text of the address and a suggestive picture of the dress Erza was wearing.

Wearing a dress she hasn't worn since her college days, Lucy is surprised it still clings onto her body like it used to. But this isn't the time to be self-conscious. Tonight is a night to be just the opposite—confident, likeable, and attractive.

Lucy has already developed a plan for her potential guy, but it feels like a distant dream. Right now, she has to be in total captivation mode. She has never acted this way in her life, but after channeling her inner-Erza persona, she is more confident than ever before.

"We're here," the taxi driver says. His words cause Lucy's heart to leap into her throat. She swallows it back as she steps out of the car.

Simultaneously, she nearly chokes on her breath at the extravagant hotel Erza invited her to. Inside, twinkling chandeliers hang from every part of the ceiling. Everyone is decorated with jewelry that probably costs more than a year's worth of her apartment rent.

Lucy follows the crowd of people until she reaches a ballroom where she recognizes the name of the host from Erza's text—Juvia.

"Would you like anything to drink?" a server offers as soon as Lucy takes her first step inside.

She takes the first glass of champagne on the tray. With a thankful nod, she searches through the crowd for Erza. Even though Erza is not the first person she would like to be with, Lucy feels so out of her comfort zone that any familiarity would be enough.

After squeezing through about twenty people, Lucy catches a glimpse of scarlet hair. She immediately calls out her name.

"Erza!"

Erza turns around at the voice, making eye contact with her. "Oh, you made it. Good luck tonight."

Lucy's jaw drops as Erza turns away with a smug look. "So, it's like that," she mumbles. "That's okay. I can do this by myself." With a deep breath, she mentally slides on her mask.

Any moment that Lucy makes eye contact with a man, she goes for it. She sends them a sly smile and approaches them, placing a hand on their shoulder. "How are you tonight?"

Much to her dismay, every man she speaks to is either married, currently with someone, or swinging the other way. An hour passes and she hasn't spoken to anyone worth her time. But now isn't the time to be picky; she _has _to find someone tonight.

Being on the lookout is becoming exhausting, so she decides to check out what the food is about. The sight of chocolate covered strawberries instantly attracts her and there is only one left. She reaches for it, but a hand plucks it away.

"Oh," Lucy says, also hearing the person say the same. She turns to the person, taken aback by the vibrant color of his hair.

"Do you want it?" he offers.

"You can take it," she assures. "I'll just go for something else."

"No, you take it. They're really sweet. I've had five."

"What if I just take you instead?" Lucy smiles at the same time his brows raise.

He instinctively leans forward. "What's your name?"

"Lucy. Yours?"

"Natsu."

"Cute."

"I can say the same to you."

"I meant your name." Lucy stifles out a laugh. Now, they're rolling. Before she continues, she glances at his hand—no ring. So far, so good.

"Are you with anyone tonight?" Natsu asks.

"Only a potential strawberry," she replies. "And you?"

"Same," he answers.

Lucy lets out a sigh of relief mixed with anticipation. This is it. This is her guy. "What are you doing here tonight?"

"I honestly can't remember now that I met you," Natsu responds. "Now that I think about it, I could go for some actual food."

"Tempting," she hums.

"Interested?" he suggests.

"Absolutely," she answers.

"I'll meet you at the front, then," he tells her before walking away.

Disappearing into the crowd, Natsu swipes his hands across his pants as a smile peeks through his lips. He can't remember the last time he felt like this—probably in college. But most importantly, he still has game!

"I knew bringing the bike was a good idea." Natsu grins triumphantly once he catches his friend, who is already half-tipsy.

"You found a girl already?" Gray asks incredulously.

"You're going to wish you never bet on this," Natsu continues grinning. "See you later. Use protection tonight, alright?"

Not bothering to hear Gray's slurred retorts, Natsu meets Lucy at the entrance of the ballroom. "You ready?"

"Readier than I'll ever be." She doesn't think twice about linking her arm through his. "Where are we headed?"

"One of my favorite restaurants," he reveals. They're outside now and Lucy starts stepping towards the nearest car, but he stops her. "No, this one."

"Oh," she realizes, her eyes connecting with the bike that looks strikingly similar to the one that almost flattened her today.

"Don't worry, I have a helmet for you," Natsu offers. "It's a little goofy, but safety is important."

Lucy mentally shakes off the trembles in her body by grasping the helmet firmly. She places it on her head, allowing him to adjust the chin straps.

"Goofy?" she asks, making close eye contact with him.

"Cute," he smirks. His smirk only widens when she mounts the bike and wraps her arms around his waist. "Don't squeeze too tight," he teases.

Lucy places her chin on his shoulder with a soft laugh. If there is anything she knows about men, it's their desire for constant physical touch.

Natsu allows his body to relax in her hold. If there is anything he knows about women, it's crucial to respond back to their body language.

Lucy has to hold back her yelps as they ride through the night. She tries to hide them, but she finds herself exposed when Natsu chuckles occasionally. It's then when she starts to notice that this guy is a lot more perceptive than she thought.

"Here we are," he announces once they roll up to a shining restaurant.

"A diner?" she questions aloud. "This is your favorite?"

"I'm old-fashioned."

The bright lights of the diner are a blessing and a curse. Now, Lucy can take in Natsu's features. At the same time, he absorbs her features, too. But in the persona she is in right now, there's no room for her to feel self-conscious.

Sitting across from one another, they share a menu. It doesn't matter that the words are upside down for Natsu; he already knows exactly what he wants.

"The sandwiches here are the best," he mentions.

"That's exactly what I was looking at," she replies.

After ordering a chicken sandwich, Lucy directs her attention to Natsu. Their eye contact almost feels electric, enough for a shiver to scatter across her spine.

"Can I ask you some questions?" she asks, placing her chin on her hands. "So we're not strangers anymore."

"Shoot." Natsu tugs his sleeves to his elbows as though to prepare.

"What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a firefighter," he answers with a proud glint in his eye. "There isn't much to save here in Magnolia, but the pay is good."

"Would you prefer to live somewhere else?"

"Maybe," he shrugs. "What about you?"

"I'm a journalist," she states.

Natsu raises an intrigued brow. "Have I read some of your work?"

"Only if you're interested in makeup and fashion." She sends him a suggestive look.

"Oh, you're _that _type of journalist," he remarks, nodding his head in understanding. "Saving one teenage girl at a time."

Now it's Lucy's turn to raise a brow. "I'll have you know, I work hard for my job," she defends herself. "This is just temporary. Soon enough, I'm going to be writing articles that are worth writing about."

"What's stopping you from doing that now?"

Lucy opens her mouth to respond, but she's saved by the waitress and their food. She's thankful; she needs to remember that this man is only going to be in her life for ten days. There's no reason for him to know everything about her.

Throughout their meal, Natsu does all he can to be the captivating guy that keeps Lucy wanting more and more. Meanwhile, Lucy does all she can to suggest that she doesn't want their night at the diner to end here.

As though served to her on a silver platter, Lucy finds herself being invited to Natsu's apartment. They are moving _a lot _faster than she anticipated, but she keeps herself together with a confident smile.

"Nice place," she compliments. She has only seen an alcove studio apartment in movies but experiencing it in real life makes it appear much larger than it is.

"Thanks," he responds. "Being a firefighter isn't too bad when you get to live in a place like this. Want a drink?"

"Sure. But first, where's your bathroom?"

Once she's in, she immediately takes out her phone. Lucy can try to be a strong, confident woman, only if she's given some space to return to her normal self.

"You're at his place?!" Levy texts Lucy back almost the second she received the text.

"I'm not going to do whatever you think we'll be doing," Lucy replies. "I'm just going to… Tease him a bit."

She checks through Natsu's cabinets to see if there is anything out of the ordinary. Besides an extremely tattered toothbrush, everything looks normal.

"Don't forget to take your notes," Levy reminds her. "Be safe and text me if you need anything."

With that, Lucy leaves the bathroom to see Natsu lighting several candles. Soft music plays in the background—it's a song she recognizes from one of her study playlists she had once. Playing with the tension in the air, she doesn't think twice to near his bed and sit at the edge.

Natsu hands her a glass of wine, but instead of sitting on the bed with her, he sits back on the dresser against the wall. Lucy pats the spot beside her lightly to beckon him to her. In response, Natsu pats the area beside him.

"Oookay," she finally accepts, standing up from the bed and sitting beside him. Warmth spreads across her skin as their shoulders bump against each other.

Natsu is about to mention that she smells sweet, but as soon as he turns to her, he finds her lips pressing against his. They kiss for a moment, but he lifts his head.

"Hey, let's not go too fast, alright?" he whispers, his lips accidentally brushing across her nose. He knows this will make her want him even more.

"Yeah, you're right," Lucy says while pulling away. She peers at him, but his eyes are focused on her lips. "Let's—"

Her words are interrupted as Natsu brings her in, kissing her as they stand and embrace one another. She can feel his pulse coming off his fingertips as they snake down her back.

"Ah, you're right. Too fast." Lucy unwraps her arms from around his neck. She knows this will make him want her even more.

"Yeah," Natsu mutters as he presses his forehead against hers.

Maybe it's because of the drink, or the party, or her assignment, or everything in between that makes Lucy do what she does next. Gently running her fingers into his hair, she leans in just for another kiss. That's all it takes.

One second they're standing, the next second Natsu is above Lucy on his bed. The beat of the music surrounding them matches their kisses. Lucy finds herself lost in his lips, her body heat meshing with his.

Natsu can smell her sweetness as he presses just enough weight above her to make her secure in his grip. He enjoys the softness of her lips, even being able to feel the ghost of her smile.

"Too fast." They both pull away with heavy breaths. As their hazy eyes connect, the tension between them is insurmountable.

"I want you to respect me," Lucy speaks softly.

"I do," Natsu responds. "And I want your respect."

Lucy sends him a subtle smile. "I respect you for respecting me."

Natsu pauses, but the edges of his lips rise. "I respect that."

He pushes himself off the bed and helps her up. As they both fix their ruffled hair, they share a look, almost laughing. Both of them can agree that everything happened too fast. Not that they regret it, but there's still too much unfamiliar distance between them.

"I should probably head out," Lucy admits.

"I'll walk you out," he offers.

Lucy is feeling electricity all across her body—so much that she doesn't acknowledge her surroundings. She gasps when she accidentally knocks over her wine glass.

"I'm so sorry," she apologizes quickly while bending down to pick it up.

"Hey, don't do that. It's okay." Natsu grasps her hand before it comes in contact with the glass. "I'll clean it up once you leave."

Lucy peeks shyly at him, picking herself up and looking around to see if she needs anything else. "Thanks for tonight. I'll see you soon."

"Soon," Natsu repeats.

Lucy slides out of his apartment, already making mental notes of every detail of what happened tonight. She exits the apartment complex, in search for a taxi when she hears a voice above her.

"Goodnight, Lucy," Natsu calls out from his balcony.

She raises her gaze to him and waves. "Goodnight!"

Natsu leans his elbow against the railing of the balcony, laughing into his hand as she waves.

"You're so going to want to be with me for these next ten days," he says under his breath.

Lucy speaks through her smile. "I'm going to have these next ten days make you wish you were dead."

Finding a taxi, she enters the car and takes a final look at Natsu's apartment complex. He is already inside, which allows her to release a laugh that has been pent up inside of her. She isn't sure if it's a nervous one or an anticipated one.

Reflecting on tonight, she feels like she has awakened a new version of herself. There is no telling how these next ten days are going to turn out.

* * *

Natsu waits for Gray in front of the fire station the next day. Once he arrives and delivers Natsu's lunch—courtesy of Juvia's party—they sit at an outdoor table. Natsu hasn't even taken his first bite when Gray begins his interrogation.

"What happened last night?"

"For me or for you?" Natsu speaks through muffled bites. "Do you remember anything?"

"Only bits and pieces, but that's not what I care about," Gray dismisses him. "I mean, for you. You met a girl?"

"Yeah, she was great. Hanging out with her these next ten days isn't going to be difficult," Natsu responds.

"Well, do you have plans on seeing her today?" Gray inquires.

"She left her purse at my place," Natsu cracks a grin. "I'm going to call—"

He doesn't get to finish his sentence, hearing the station phone ringing inside. Several moments later, one of his colleagues comes outside.

"Hey, Natsu. You have a call."

"Spoke too soon," Gray comments as Natsu jumps out of his seat and hurries inside.

"Hey," Natsu speaks into the phone, trying to hide his uneven breaths.

"Hey," Lucy replies on the other line. "Sorry if it's weird calling you at work."

"No, it's okay. We're slow. As always," he assures. "You searched up the station's phone number?"

"Is that weird?" Lucy asks bashfully. "Sorry."

"No, it's not," Natsu lets out a chuckle. If anything, he appreciates her effort to get in contact with him.

"Well, I just wanted to call you about my purse. I accidentally left it last night."

Natsu takes note at the word _accidentally. _"Yeah, I saw. How about we meet today so I can give it back to you?"

"You read my mind," she replies. "Here, this is my number. You can call me back on your personal phone."

"Got it. See you soon, then," Natsu responds. Once he hangs up, he makes eye contact with his colleague. "What, Elfman?"

"Never seen you blush before," Elfman comments. "Not very manly."

"I'm not blushing!" Natsu proclaims immediately, already going back outside. "Get off of me."

Finding that Gray left to go back to work, Natsu continues eating his lunch by himself. Even then, he becomes lost in his thoughts at what it will be like to see Lucy again.

"You are so sly," Cana purrs once Lucy gets off the phone.

"Just strategy," Lucy explains with a half-hearted shrug. "I'm still in phase one right now."

"Which means?" Cana questions.

"Captivation," Lucy reveals. "That definitely succeeded last night, but today I'm going to show him a different, sweeter side to me."

"You got guts," Cana commends. "How will phase two be like?"

"Clingy, needy," Lucy lists them off her fingers. "You know, that kind of stuff. But when he least expects it, I'm going to switch it up again."

Cana releases a laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. "You really thought this one out!"

Lucy can't help but beam. She has pretty much gotten over the nervous jitters; she's ready to continue her experiment. Though her plan is written out, she knows she needs to be spontaneous, too. Such as intentionally leaving her purse at Natsu's place last night. She needs a reason to see him again, after all.

It isn't until the workday is almost over when her phone buzzes, lighting up with a message from an unknown number with a street address.

"Hey, it's me. Let's meet here tonight."

Lucy taps on the highlighted address, her phone directing her to a map view of the place. It's a fifteen minute walk away, but in the opposite direction of where she would like to be. The address is on the side of the town that no one wants to find themselves at after sunset.

She hums and messages Natsu back. "Fairy Tail? I've never heard of it. Is it safe?"

"You'll be safe with me," Natsu responds instantly. "It's sort of a club, but tonight is a special night for cards and games. Drinks on the side, maybe."

Again, Lucy hums and reminds herself how necessary spontaneity is right now. If that means meeting Natsu in a suspicious part of town, then so be it.

"Okay. I'll be there in an hour."

With that, Lucy reaches for her extra set of clothes. On her way to change, she calls Levy to update her on the new turn of events.

"You better keep me updated every minute!" Levy lectures her, her voice echoing through the bathroom. "You know how dangerous that side of the city is. Are you sure you want to do this, Lu?"

"Commitment is commitment," Lucy protests. "Natsu said I'll be safe with him."

"Men are unreliable!" Levy proclaims. "Seriously, keep your location on your phone or I'm going there myself."

Lucy lets out a laugh, secretly grateful for her friend's concern. "You got it, Levy. I'll probably be back late tonight, so don't worry about staying up for me."

Before Levy finds a new way to warn Lucy to not go, Lucy ends the call.

"Okay," she begins, fixing her hair and faking a smile at the mirror. "Let's do this."

Phone in hand, Lucy makes her way to Fairy Tail. Sunset rays drip onto her face every so often, which eases her more than it should. She can already tell she's entering Magnolia's rough part when she notices the chipped sidewalk and stray dogs.

It is almost as if she's in another world the further she goes. Her phone tells her she's about three minutes away from the place, but she has no idea how it'll look. She expects it to look similar to the abandoned houses, but it isn't until she walks around the corner when she's met with solid, metal gate.

The gate is at least a head taller than her, but she rises on the tips of her toes to see if she can look over. Behind her, she can hear men whistling at her. Before she feels too exposed, she calls Natsu.

"Hey, I think I'm here," Lucy says.

"I'll tell them to open the gate for you."

On cue, the gate starts to slide open. When it has opened enough for her to fit, she doesn't hesitate to enter. Lucy has to suppress her eyes from bulging out when she realizes that she is now in a gorgeous courtyard, decorated with ponds and fountains and perfectly-cut shrubs. In front of her is an extravagant three-story building. It's hard to believe that a wasteland is directly behind her.

"Hey, Lucy! You found me!" Natsu shouts, waving at her from the second floor balcony. She tilts her head back and sees him beckoning her to enter. "I'll meet you at the staircase!"

She steps forward, mentally preparing herself to get into character. Once again, it's showtime.

"Hey, there." Natsu wraps an arm around her shoulders and brings her into a hug.

"It's nice to see you again," Lucy says, leaning into the hug. "Did you have a good day?"

"It's better now that you're here." He sends her a wide grin. Already, electricity seems to tremor between them. "Oh, yeah, here's your purse."

"Thank you." She accepts the purse from him, their fingers accidentally grazing over each other. He latches onto her fingers.

Natsu tilts his head to the side. "Here, let's walk around."

Jazz music plays around the dimly lit room, lights hanging to illuminate specific areas. The lights hover above poker, card-games, and pool tables. Players surround them, taking their shots or concentrated at their cards.

"How do you know about this place?" Lucy asks, guided by their intertwined hands.

"A friend of mine knows the owner," Natsu answers. "All these guys here are loaded with money. I just like to come here and have fun."

"You don't play?" Lucy raises a brow, somewhat surprised.

"Only if I know I'm going to win. Which is often," he says confidently.

Immediately intrigued by his confident manner, Lucy decides to challenge him to play a game. They're now on the second floor, which is for board games. She searches the area to see which would be the most challenging—her lips tug upwards once she finds it.

"What about chess? Do you think you could beat that guy?" She points her finger at a lonesome man by one of the chess boards.

"Could I?" Natsu scoffs. "I'm professionally trained at chess. And by professional, I mean, I've watched plenty of people play it."

"Show me what you got, then," she retorts. They walk to the board, the man looking above his glasses at the two.

Natsu wordlessly sits across from him, setting up the pieces on his side of the board. "Let's do this, old man."

The man grunts, setting up his pieces and turning to squint at Lucy. "Sit away from us. I don't want you disturbing our game."

She opens her mouth to defend herself. "I won't—"

"Don't worry, it won't last too long," Natsu assures her. "You can sit on those couches nearby."

Lucy has no choice but to comply, trying not to show her frustration. She crosses her arms and sits on the couch. If there is anything that bothers her most, it's being excluded. She also feels like the suspicious stains on the velvet couch has provided more service than just sitting.

From her spot, she watches Natsu's face becoming stone-like once he concentrates on the game. She begins to find it oddly attractive, but she also can tell that this game isn't going to be as short as he predicted.

"I'm going to get a drink," Lucy states after thirty minutes have passed and nearly no significant moves have been made.

"Don't disturb us," the man responds harshly.

"Sorry, Lucy. Do you mind getting me one, too?" Natsu asks with a quick glance in her direction.

"Yeah, yeah," she waves them off.

Aimlessly walking through the club, she isn't sure where she should grab her first drink. Several bars are on each floor and she can't tell which one to choose. She decides to pick the most vacant one on the third floor, noticing only one other person besides the bartender. She sits one stool away from him.

"I'll just have a water," she tells the bartender.

She sneaks a glimpse at the man beside her, noticing that he is more elderly than she realized. He swirls the ice in his cup. He sends her a side-eye as he takes a sip, which makes Lucy jump at the sudden eye-contact.

"Nice to meet you." The man smiles at her. "What's your name?"

"I'm Lucy." She extends her hand out to shake his hand. "What about you?"

"Makarov," he answers. "I've never seen you here before."

"Yeah, I'm a guest," she explains. "Do you know Natsu? I'm here with him."

Makarov doesn't hold back his surprised expression. "You're here with Natsu? That's new."

Lucy tilts her head in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"I don't remember the last time Natsu brought a woman here," Makarov states. He rubs the back of his head in thought. "It has been at least five years."

Lucy grinds her teeth in order for her jaw not to drop. "Why do you think that is?"

"Can't be too sure," he shrugs half-heartedly. "The last thing he told me was that the next relationship he's looking for is a long-term one."

Lucy's teeth grind harder. Her thoughts begin to spiral, unsure of which one to settle on. Is Natsu more committed than she thought? Does Natsu see a future with her? How is she supposed to be okay with that knowing that she's cutting all of this off in ten days?

Lucy gulps, trying to keep her voice level. "How do you know all of this? What's your relationship with Natsu?"

"Well, I own this place," Makarov says nonchalantly. "I know everyone in this club."

But this interests her more than anything. _This _is what she has been looking for.

"You own this place," Lucy echoes. She slides into the stool separating them. "What's the story behind Fairy Tail? Why did you pick this part of Magnolia?"

"It's a long story," Makarov answers, almost as though he isn't interested in sharing it.

"I have time," Lucy assures him. "I'm also a journalist who lives for stories like these. Really, I would love to know your story."

Makarov notices the curious glint in her eyes, knowing that it's genuine. He clears his throat.

"Well, I had the vision of Fairy Tail when I was about your age. This part of town used to be ten times worse back in the day. Burglaries left and right. My home got broken into five times, even while I was building this place.

"I wanted it to be a safe place for those that live here and have nowhere to go. You know, people outside of these neighborhoods think that everyone here is too far gone to be successful.

"But I think the real issue is that no one has any hope for them. No one has hope for the drug addicts, the kids, the families. There isn't any hope that these neighborhoods can be restored."

"Do you think Fairy Tail has made a difference in the community?" Lucy asks.

"You tell me," Makarov responds, turning his chair around and lifting his finger in the air. "Those closed doors over there are classrooms. During the day, this place is a school."

"And at night it's a club?"

"We make sure the kids aren't allowed in at night," he responds. "We also don't sell alcohol. Water, juice, and soda are all anyone is drinking around here."

"Incredible," Lucy breathes out in awe. "I didn't think a place like this existed in Magnolia."

"It's a stigma that we're trying to destroy," he replies. A smile tugs at the edge of his lips. "Money is starting to flow in, too. Somehow, word got around to a bunch of corporate workers and they come here after their shifts."

"That's amazing." She begins to smile with him.

Makarov turns to her. "Did you say you were a journalist? Do you think you could mention Fairy Tail in the paper?"

Lucy pauses, slowly shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I'm not that kind of journalist."

"Oh, I see," Makarov nods in understanding. "Well, that's fine. With the way it looks like, we'll be growing in no time."

Disappointment floods into Lucy's chest. Not only because of her meaningless job position, but because of herself, too. Before she feeds too much into her emotions, she asks her final question.

"If you had any advice for someone who wanted to open up a place like this, what would you say?"

"Follow the path you believe in," Makarov answers simply. "The further you go, the more you'll see how much you believe in it."

Lucy clenches her fists below the bar. All she wants to do right now is jump up from her seat, thank Makarov for his time, and quit her job. But before her feet touch the ground, she feels an arm snake around her waist.

"You didn't get to see me win," Natsu whispers into her ear, his lips dragging across her skin. He sets his chin on her shoulder and shifts his gaze. "Oh, hey, Makarov. You met Lucy?"

"I sure have," he replies with a suggestive tone. "Seems like you struck some passionate gold with this one."

"Passionate?" Lucy and Natsu repeat at the same time. They look at one another with confused eyes.

"Well, I look forward to seeing you again, Lucy," Makarov says while hopping off his stool. "Until we meet again, you two. Don't enjoy yourselves too much."

Without giving the time to respond, Makarov walks away. Natsu and Lucy to blink at one another for several seconds. They speak simultaneously.

"You won the game?"

"What did he say to you?"

Natsu nods, allowing Lucy to speak first.

"He shared his story with me," she explains, not being able to hold back her smile. "He told me how he started Fairy Tail."

"He loves telling that story," Natsu sighs as he sits next to her. "It's hard to believe that this place is filled with kids during the day, right?"

"I bet it's a beautiful school," she says. She casts a look across her shoulder to admire the place. Now that she knows how special this place is, she wants to recognize its worth.

Natsu leans forward, almost mesmerized by her softened eyes. "Do you have a passion for schools?"

Lucy catches his lingering gaze. She turns back to the bar and looks down at her cup. "I just have a passion for stories, that's all," she explains. "Anyway, how did the game go?"

"I won," Natsu responds with a grin. He reaches over to play with her fingers. "And it only took an hour and a half."

Lucy feels a tingling sensation ripple through her body, reminding her of Makarov's words. There's no way that she can let Natsu believe that this relationship is for the long run. She doesn't have the heart for that. She needs to act _fast. _

"Well, I'm tired," she states, changing her tone. She pulls her hands away from him. "And I came here pretty hungry."

Natsu tilts his head, noticing the shift in her voice. "Let's go get something to eat then. There's a place not too far from here."

Lucy is about to respond, but her phone interrupts her. She finds that it's Levy calling her, which is a perfect opportunity.

"Hello? Oh, come on, Levy. I'm in the middle of a date. I can't leave—wait. Right now? Oh my, I'm on my way!"

"Who was that? What's going on?" Natsu asks, following Lucy as she abruptly jumps out of her seat and makes her way to the staircase.

"That was my roommate. She needs me to go home _now_." She hastily answers, quickly stepping down the stairs.

"For what? You can't just stay—"

Once they reach the entrance, Lucy stops in her tracks. Without warning, she turns around to lean forward and kiss him. It takes Natsu by surprise. Before he can react, she's already pulling away.

"Let's see each other tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," he nods, still bewildered by the whole situation. "I'll call you."

"I'll be waiting." She sends him a smile before shutting the door.

The clicks of Lucy's shoes match her heartbeats as she hurries through the courtyard. Luckily, the reason why Levy called her was to say that she was outside.

"Hey," Lucy sighs out as she slides into Levy's car.

"You're lucky that I was in the area to pick up some paperwork at the bakery," Levy replies. She shifts the car into drive. "So, how did tonight go?"

Lucy looks over at her friend with a grin. "Levy, you won't believe the story of this place. It's incredible. I'm going to have to tell you about it soon."

"And how about the date with Natsu?" she asks.

Lucy runs a trembling hand through her hair. "Oh, yeah. That was good, too. Other than the fact that he may be more invested into the relationship than I am."

"That's a good thing, right?" Levy remarks.

"Good for the experiment, not good for me," Lucy answers. "Do you know hard it's going to be to let him go after these ten days?"

"Well, that's what you signed up for," Levy states simply. "You can deal with the heartbreak another time. This is going to make your article so much richer, too."

Levy's tough love is exactly what Lucy needs. If not, she would be coming clean to Natsu by the end of the night. But after remembering that this article may lead her to more recognition, Lucy swallows her pride.

And with that, day one of the experiment is complete. Tomorrow, phase two will begin.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi, chapter three here! **

**Random question, but am I uploading too fast? Posting three chapters in one week is very unlike me, but I have so much freedom having the entire story written already. **

**I definitely recommend this strategy if you're writing a "short" story like this! It was so satisfying to just see the document get longer and longer until you're finished with the entire story. Suddenly, the word document was 72 pages long and I was so proud.**

**It's also nice because your reviews normally point something out to me, so all I have to do is go to the particular part and add/fix whatever needs to be done. It's a lot less stressful than when I had to make sure the next chapter was written by the next week.**

**Well anyway, I don't want to be shoving these chapters down your throats, so please let me know if I should space out my updates! **

**I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. It's exciting to get all the feedback from you guys. It really gives me something to look forward to! **

**See you next time - thanks for all the support!**

* * *

While being an inactive firefighter is the last job Natsu wants to have, he is still required to act like an active firefighter. Minus the obvious, he is required to attend the end of the week staff meetings.

Not only is it a time to hear what the active firefighters have seen throughout the week—which Natsu is admittedly jealous of—it is also a time for updating numbers, distributing chores, and rechecking inventory.

Every Friday, Natsu finds himself paying attention until his colleagues are finished sharing their testimonies. Then, he starts counting how many carrots he can eat before his stomach starts making strange noises.

At exactly noon, the firefighters gather in the meeting room and listen to the fire chief's weekly spiel. Natsu mindlessly taps his fingers on the edge of the table.

"You know what I noticed yesterday?" the fire chief says. "A stain on the—"

He doesn't get to finish his sentence, interrupted by the station phone ringing. Natsu watches as one of his colleagues presses the phone against his ear. Natsu lifts a brow when the phone is extended to him.

"Hello?" he asks, confused at who would be calling him at this time.

"Natsu!" Lucy sings on the other end of the line. "I've missed you all day today!"

He winces at her loud voice. He glances at his colleagues, knowing fully well that they can hear her. He turns slightly away from them. "Uh, hey, Lucy. This is bad timing."

"You know, I just ate this salad—"

"Was everything alright with your roommate last night?" he interrupts her.

"She just wanted to show me the new books she bought!" she replies cheerfully.

"That's great," he responds. "Well, I have to go now. I'll talk to you once I'm off work, alright?"

"But, Natsu—"

He doesn't let her finish, setting the phone on the table. He lifts his gaze to find his colleagues staring at him, some with smug looks. Natsu clears his throat to slice through the awkward tension.

"Let's not talk about this again," he mutters. He turns back to the chief. "So, as you were saying?"

* * *

"Lu, are you listening to what I'm saying?"

Lucy looks up from her phone, blinking at Levy with a blank expression. "I was before Natsu texted me."

Levy puckers her lips in response. "I need you to listen to me here. I know you're having this relationship going on, but I need your advice for mine now."

"What do you mean?" Lucy tilts her head in confusion. "I think we both know the answer. Just tell Gajeel that you're not interested anymore."

"But I _am _still interested," Levy insists.

"Then why don't you tell him that?" Lucy counters as though it's obvious.

The two share a hard gaze. Lucy has begun to master the skill of maintaining consistent eye contact these past few days, so she isn't fazed. Levy, on the other hand, can only handle it for three seconds before she throws her hands in the air in defeat.

"Agh, fine! I'll tell him that we need to talk to tonight."

Lucy sends her friend a satisfied smile. "Baby steps."

A bell resonates behind them, signaling Lucy to step out of the way for an incoming customer. She decides to sit at a table nearest to the front counter. It's an unfamiliar feeling; it has been years since she could wander about Magnolia like this. Erza has never been one to permit her employees to have flexible schedules. But with the help of her experiment, she can finally visit Levy during her shift at the bakery.

Lucy watches as Levy places various breads into a paper bag. She is tempted to buy some herself, but a nearby plant pot catches her attention.

Once the customer has left, she points at the pot. "Are you selling that?"

"The pot or the plant?" Levy asks while reaching for it.

"Both," Lucy answers. She stands up to examine it, finding matted soil on top.

"My boss said something about it being a stubborn plant," Levy recalls. "He's been trying to grow it for weeks, but nothing has happened yet."

"I could take it off your hands," Lucy offers immediately. "I have an idea."

Levy lifts a brow at her eager friend. She knows that glint in Lucy's eyes—whatever it is, it's going to be good.

"You can just take it, then," Levy replies as she slides the pot to her. "I'm sure my boss won't notice that it's gone."

Lucy can't stop the grin forming on her lips. With all these ideas floating in her mind, she feels invested into the experiment like Natsu is invested into their relationship.

"Okay, I need to start going now." Lucy graciously takes the plant. "We're having a movie night tonight."

"Good luck!" Levy calls out as Lucy begins to leave. "Wish me luck with Gajeel tonight!"

"Good luck!" Lucy calls back over her shoulder. As a tingling sensation runs through her body, she makes her way to Natsu's place to start the show once again.

Meanwhile, Natsu takes a quick shower when he arrives back home. He doesn't want to think too much about what happened at work today. The thought that Lucy is clingier than he realized is enough for him to shiver.

Not that he sees a future with her, but he believes she has the potential to become something more if they try. But if she continues to show more toxic signs, he'll be ready to end their time together. After the ten days, of course.

These thoughts swirl in his mind as he watches a popcorn bag inflate in the microwave. The bag is almost ready when he hears several knocks on the door.

"It's open!" Natsu calls out as he pushes a button to stop the microwave.

"Smells like a movie theater!" Lucy enters the apartment and takes in a deep breath. She walks towards him to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, what are you holding onto?" he asks, noticing her hands behind her back.

"Here it is." She proudly holds it in front of her. "It's a plant getting ready to sprout!"

He tilts his head. "Why did you bring that here?"

"It represents our relationship," she explains, searching the apartment for a place to set it. "The more we water our relationship, the more we'll grow!"

She decides for one of the windowsills. "I'm going to leave it here, okay? We can watch our relationship grow together!"

Natsu has to bite his lip so he doesn't say the first thought that comes into his mind. He settles with his third thought instead. "Ah, well, that's cool. I appreciate the gesture."

Lucy turns around with a shining smile. "Let's start the movie."

All the lights switched off with three popcorn bags, the couple sit on the couch to start the movie. They share a blanket, although it's mostly Lucy using it. Natsu can only use a blanket for so long before the blanket itself becomes too hot.

The movie they picked out happens to be one of Natsu's favorites. Lucy mentions that she has watched it a few times, which causes him to be happier than he thought it would. This movie reminds him of the days he would come home from school and have all the free time in the world to simply watch movies.

"This is one of my favorite parts of the movie!" Lucy excitedly whispers, although her voice is loud enough to blend in with the volume of the movie.

"Yeah, me too," Natsu agrees, throwing in a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

Lucy looks over at him and watches his gaze focused on the screen for a few moments. She slightly leans closer to him. "What are you thinking about right now?"

Natsu glances at her, not having enough power to tear his eyes away. His voice comes off more like a question. "I'm thinking about the movie."

"But what's on your mind right now?"

"Well, the movie is."

Lucy leans in even closer. "Just the movie?"

The movie has become background noise as their eyes connect, which makes Natsu realize that he probably missed his favorite scene already. But as another tremor of electricity radiates between them, that doesn't matter as much as it would.

"Now I'm thinking about how beautiful you are," he says.

Lucy's eyes light up. "That was sweet. You're sweet."

She is about to lean against his shoulder, but he catches her lips instead. From what Natsu can hear, another one of his favorite scenes is about to come up. Before he becomes too lost into her lips, he pulls away.

With a warm face and warm lips, he reaches for her hand and turns back to the screen. "Okay, let's watch the movie now."

Natsu sinks further into the couch, secretly hoping that she received enough attention to the last the rest of the movie.

Much to his dismay, he isn't able to refocus due to Lucy occasionally shifting on the couch for a more comfortable position. Then, she has to use the restroom. After that, she goes behind him and massages his shoulders. By the time the movie is over, she has distracted him about thirty times.

"What a movie!" She sighs out as the credits start to roll. She stretches her arms and legs, extending them as much as they can.

"Yeah." He scratches the back of his head, unsure whether or not he should be annoyed that he didn't get the full movie experience. He chooses not to dwell on it too much knowing that he can just watch it again another day.

Natsu is about to call it a night, but Lucy speaks before he gets the chance.

"I love seeing characters be redeemed," she admits. She leans her head back against the couch and stares up at the ceiling. "It really shows their humanity, you know?"

Natsu watches her for a second before matching her posture. They sit next to one another, eyes settled above them.

"Would you say that the characters in the movie were redeemed or forgiven?" he asks.

"Being redeemed already shows that you're forgiven," she replies easily.

Natsu squints at the ceiling in confusion but is too intrigued at the topic to not delve deeper. "Mind explaining what you mean?"

Lucy pauses. Some part of her feels that she has no idea what she is saying, but another part feels confident enough to justify herself.

"Redemption is having your life transformed after you make a mistake," she begins. "I think forgiveness is a longer process that happens after you make the mistake. Sometimes it's even knowingly messing up.

"When you ask for forgiveness, you're acknowledging that your mistake exists. Through that, you learn compassion because your mistake is teachable now. Although it may be difficult, you can share the feeling with others, and guide them away from the selfishness you wish you avoided."

Lucy stops to look over at Natsu. His eyes are closed in order to absorb her words. He hums when he is finished processing, but she continues.

"Forgiveness is through expressing your regrets with sincerity. It's expressing that you're sorry that your mistake may have had the power to harm someone else. Sometimes we don't forgive because we're holding onto bitterness or we feel like the person doesn't deserve it.

"Therefore, I think forgiveness and redemption come out of a place of love. It starts like a tiny vibration. After redemption and forgiveness, everything about your life changes. It's a renewed, vibrating form of pure love. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's difficult to believe that's available to us, too," Natsu says, nearly taken aback by her words. He opens his eyes to look at her. "Lucy, do you realize how profound that sounded?"

Lucy returns his gaze with a bashful look. She can feel a blush scattering across her cheeks. Not only because of his genuine affirmation, but she wonders if her words revealed too much of her vulnerable thoughts.

"I feel like none of that made sense." She brushes herself off, just in case.

Natsu can't help but smile at her. As he sits up, he feels a sense of refreshment. This is his first time having a conversation like this with a person he is dating. Physical touch has always been what he relies on to form a closer attraction, but this is a whole new level of intimacy.

"You never fail to surprise me," Natsu blurts out.

Lucy feels her heart pounding in her throat. This developing feeling inside her chest is like an old friend. It only appears when conversations like this happen—real, intentional conversations. It happened so unexpectedly; it almost seems too good to be true.

She catches a glimpse of the time and finds that it's almost midnight. For the sake of both their hearts, she stands up from the couch.

"It's getting late," she starts.

Natsu nods—a hint of disappointment inside of him, although he isn't sure why—and walks her to the door. He leans against the doorframe, watching her step outside.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Lucy says.

Natsu continues to nod, but before she's too far away, he gently grasps her chin and brings her into his lips. They share a kiss—it feels just as real as their conversation.

Both of them can tell the feeling was different as they separate. They look at one another, the silence between them too heavy to ignore.

"Don't forget to water our plant," Lucy reminds him abruptly.

Natsu tilts his head back, laughing at the broken moment. "Yeah, I'll make sure it stays alive for us. Text me when you get back home."

Natsu stays outside of his apartment until Lucy enters the elevator. She is already dialing Levy's number by the time the elevator door is closing.

"You won't believe what happened tonight," Lucy immediately tells her.

"You always say that!" Levy exclaims on the phone. "Tell me what happened now!"

"I will when I get home," Lucy assures. She pauses after noticing that the elevator is slowing down and stopping at the next floor down.

As the door opens, she observes a man enter the elevator with her. She feels as though she recognizes him, but because it's late, she shifts closer to the wall and continues talking to Levy.

"These two days have been interesting, to say the least. Tomorrow, it's time to shift into second gear. But you know what, you were right. My article is going to be so much richer now that I have Natsu right where I need him."

"Lu, you're really becoming a different person through this!" Levy responds.

The elevator beeps as they reach the lobby. Without giving any attention to the man beside her, Lucy exits the elevator and makes her way out of the apartment complex.

As the door slides to a close, the man's deep breaths are louder than his pacing footsteps in the small elevator.

"What did I get myself into?" Gray groans and runs a hand through his hair. He pushes the button to his floor, forgetting the idea of going to see Natsu right now.

The size of the elevator seems to be shrinking each time it passes a new floor. Gray nearly jumps out when it reaches his floor. He is about to sprint into his apartment, but he is met with his best friend standing at the door and holding a bowl of popcorn.

"Natsu," Gray breathes out. "What are you doing here?"

"Popcorn," Natsu replies simply, extending the bowl out to him. "Leftovers from the movie night I had."

"With the girl?" Gray clarifies, moving past him to unlock his apartment. He can't bring himself to make eye contact with him just yet.

"Yeah. Her name is Lucy, by the way," Natsu responds. He doesn't hesitate to make his way into Gray's pantry and browse through his favorite midnight snacks.

Gray stares at his friend, suddenly feeling like his thoughts are trapped in an elevator. He isn't sure if he should tell Natsu that Lucy is playing him. Meaning, he would tell Natsu that he needs to end the relationship with her immediately.

On the other hand, he knows that Natsu is a man of his word. Although he doesn't want to see him getting hurt, Natsu will find a way to win this bet regardless.

Chewing on gummy fruit snacks, Natsu turns around with a grin. "This next week with her is going to be a breeze, Ice Princess. Start working on your speech for me."

Gray realizes the brightness in Natsu's eyes can't be ignored. He doesn't even remember the last time he saw Natsu genuinely smile like that.

But instead of letting his thoughts free, Gray snorts. "Don't get too confident yet. I won't be starting the draft until next week."

Natsu laughs, shaking his head. Since Lucy left his apartment, a feeling has been stirring in his heart. He can't put his finger on it just yet.

Little does he know, a feeling is stirring in Gray's heart, too. And none of it looks good.

* * *

Soon enough, Natsu and Lucy are waking up the next morning to day three. Luckily for Lucy, she gets to wake up at whatever time she wants.

Upon arriving at work, she has just finished swallowing the last bite of her bagel when Cana bursts out all of her questions.

"Tell me everything, Lucy! How was the movie night last night? How much did you drink? How late did you stay? Did you hook—"

"Everything is going the way I planned," Lucy answers shortly. "You'll have to read the rest on my article."

"That's not fair and you know it," Cana argues. "You get to see all of my behind the scenes!"

Lucy sighs with a defeated smile, not being able to hold the fight. "He's definitely invested enough where this next week is going to be a breeze."

"For him or for you?" Cana remarks.

"Definitely me," Lucy replies. "With the way I'm going to start acting today, I won't be surprised if he drops me sooner than the deadline."

Cana whistles, visibly impressed by Lucy's demeanor. Lucy reaches over to the computer and scrolls through her notes from the past few days. It's hard to believe that all of this has gone so smoothly.

Thankfully, Natsu's legitimate feelings have gotten easier to forget as the days go on. It's easy to detach her feelings after remembering her end goal, after all.

Cana is in the midst of explaining her wild Saturday night plans when Erza suddenly appears, interrupting their conversation.

"The notes you've written so far are great, Lucy."

Lucy faces her, concealing her surprise with a confident smile. She's been getting better at that lately. "Thank you, Erza."

"Are you doing anything tonight with him?" Erza asks.

"Yes," Lucy confirms. "He's making me dinner tonight."

"Wonderful. I know this is going to be gold. I look forward to the rest of your notes," Erza states before walking away.

Lucy is completely taken aback by the sudden affirmation. She shares a look with Cana before both of them burst out laughing.

The best part of the experiment so far is that Lucy has the luxury to end her Saturday shift earlier than ever before. Finally, she can leave the office during lunchtime.

On her way to a nearby restaurant, she begins to hear the rev of a motorcycle behind her. She glances over her shoulder to step out of the way. Her eyes widen when she realizes the bike is approaching her. She recognizes the sleek motorcycle from what feels like a lifetime ago.

As the owner parks his bike, Lucy quickly scans her surroundings to make sure she is safe enough to run if necessary. He removes his helmet while walking towards her. He stops when there's enough space between them for him to speak firmly without raising alarm.

Lucy examines the man, recognizing him from somewhere. "Have we met?"

"Are you using Natsu for your article?" he demands bluntly.

Lucy hesitates, instantly feeling her palms dampen. "Who are you?"

"I'm a close friend to him," he states. "I heard everything you said in the elevator last night. Do you realize what you're doing to him?"

Lucy swallows, her thoughts running a mile a minute. Although it kills her to speak to him this way, she has no choice but to make her job a priority. If hurting someone's feelings is the cost, then she is willing to do it.

"None of this is your business."

"I'm making it my business," he retorts. "Natsu is more than just a subject you can write for an article."

"What can I do for you not to say anything to him?" she asks, although she makes sure her voice doesn't waver. Not that she has the upper hand, but she is open to negotiating.

The man sets his gaze on her; his dark eyes are staring into her soul. Lucy can see that he is processing. She assumes it's a conflicting sense of loyalty, which she can definitely relate to right now. She doesn't hold back her surprise when he starts shaking his head.

"You know what… Nothing. I don't even know why I approached you."

With that, Lucy watches the man shove on his helmet and return to his bike. Before she can blink, he is already riding away. Not long after that, a heavy pit lands inside her belly. There's no way she can eat lunch after _that. _

Then, a sense of panic suddenly hits her. The direction the man went is in the same direction as the fire station.

Her palms are still damp as she hurriedly calls Natsu. She feels like each ring is long enough for his friend to ruin all her plans. He has ruined her plans four times when Natsu answers the call.

"Hey, what are you doing right now?" Lucy asks as calmly as she can.

"I'm eating lunch at the station right now. You can come see me if you want," Natsu offers.

"I'll be right there," she tells him before hanging up.

Not wasting a second, Lucy extends her hand out to the street and enters a taxi. She wishes that the buildings moving past her would travel much faster.

She isn't sure what she will do if she finds Natsu's friend at the station already. She surely wasn't expecting this kind of spontaneity, but she is determined to make it before he does.

And if she doesn't, then her experiment and her job will be absolutely ruined.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi, friends! I hope you've been having a good week so far! **

**This chapter is much shorter than I wanted it to be, but you know, sacrifices must be made. Don't worry though, _big _things are happening next chapter! **

**All of your reactions and reviews have been so awesome too! You guys make me excited to write again, honestly.**

**I do wonder what I'm going to write next... I have some ideas, but my mind always wanders, and I tend to do more than I expect haha. I think it'll be a while until I write another huge story again. Those take some hard work! **

**But anyway, thank you for all of your support so far! I genuinely appreciate you all so much. **

**See you next chapter :)**

* * *

Arriving at the fire station, Lucy can physically feel relief scatter across her body as Natsu waves at her on the front lawn. After tipping the driver, she nearly runs to him.

"Hey," they both say while giving each other a hug.

As they hug, Lucy scans their surroundings behind him. From what she can tell, Natsu is the only one outside. So far, so good.

"What are you looking for?" he asks, catching her gaze while they pull away.

"Nothing!" she exclaims, a little too quickly. She tries to calm her voice down. "I was just looking at the station. And now, I'm looking at you."

She sends him a sweet smile to distract him. However, she also has to distract herself, so she doesn't pay too much attention to how his shirt suggestively clings onto his torso. Although the plain shirt clearly has stains on it, there's something about it that gives him an extra layer of attractiveness.

"Your hair looks pretty in the sun," he says as he reaches over and twirls a lock in his fingers.

"Thanks," she responds. She instinctively leans closer to his touch, but after remembering why she came, she stops herself from leaning too close.

"What have you done today?" she asks.

Natsu pulls away, beckoning her to follow him up the driveway. "Not much. I swept the front porch, but that's all the action I had. I mentioned this to you before, but there's not a lot for me to do here in central Magnolia."

"What's stopping you from going somewhere with more activity?" She remarks, reminding him of the question he asked her when they first met.

He pauses for a second too long. "I just have some plans before I start looking, that's all. Anyway, want to meet my colleagues?"

Lucy slightly gasps, nodding eagerly. "I want to meet them!"

Natsu chuckles as he leads her into the station. "Hey, guys! I have someone I want you to meet!"

Lucy watches with amusement as men randomly appear in different areas throughout the station. Some appear from the back, others through various doors, and one even rolls out from under the firetruck. Suddenly, she's surrounded by a handful of firefighters.

"Guys, this is Lucy," Natsu introduces her. "She has a thing for people with stories."

Lucy gapes at him. "Hey, that's not—"

"Oh, I have a good story," one of the men begin to say. "Natsu's first time on the truck, he experienced motion—"

"_Not _stories about me," Natsu hastily interrupts him. "I mean, stories about yourself. Childhood or coming of age stories. Those are the kind she likes."

Lucy feels like she has been exposed like an open book. Although none of these men doesn't seem to look at her strangely, she feels self-conscious. She has the urge to excuse herself, but someone steps up and speaks.

"I got plenty," he says. "We can sit down and talk for a bit."

Lucy glances at Natsu as though for approval. When she finds him nodding, she can't hold back her smile while she follows the man to one of the outdoor tables.

"You're not allowed to tell her any stories about me, Laxus!" Natsu shouts from behind them.

Although she has never been this close to such a built man, Lucy doesn't allow for any awkward space between them. Once they sit, she instantly goes into reporter mode.

"What is your biggest motivation for being a firefighter?" she asks.

Laxus cracks his knuckles beneath the table. "My dad was a firefighter, so I basically grew up here. This station used to be my second home. But it was actually my grandpa who raised me when I wasn't at the station. My dad wasn't interested into the whole child-raising thing."

Lucy hums and nods occasionally, making sure that he knows she's listening to his every word.

"Gramps taught me a lot growing up, but I threw it all in the trash when I was old enough to make my own decisions. Greed is an addiction once you're convinced that the world revolves around you. I learned the hard way that it doesn't.

"Since it was in my blood to become a firefighter, I stayed loyal to the station. As I continued to be greedy, I planned to become the chief and lay off anyone who didn't fit the criteria I created. I thought that as firefighters, we needed to be the strongest men who could take down anything.

"I was _this _close to being promoted." Laxus raises his hand, leaving a pinch of air in between his index finger and thumb. "But something happened with Gramps that I never saw coming. He opened up a school. I knew that man loved people, but I never knew he had a soft spot for kids."

Laxus appears to be reminiscing as he speaks. Lucy can't help but be mesmerized, but she also has too many questions that can't go unanswered.

"Is your grandpa Makarov?"

"Yeah. Did Natsu take you to Fairy Tail?"

Lucy nods. "Why did Fairy Tail change your heart?"

"It made me see people for how much they're worth," Laxus admits. "I used to see my colleagues as objects that were weakening the station. My perspective completely changed after finding out Gramps' vision for Fairy Tail."

"You saw his vision for that side of Magnolia to be redeemed," Lucy says.

"Gramps' vision also gave me hope for _my _redemption," Laxus responds. "I realized that there was no way this station could stand without some people to stay here and maintain it. Fairy Tail changed me altogether, which is hard for me to say aloud.

"After that, my biggest motivation for being a firefighter was for the inactive members to know that they're valuable. Even if it's just sweeping the porch, they're still needed here. Someone has to make sure everything is under control while we're gone."

Lucy glances behind Laxus's shoulder to watch Natsu juggling three oranges. "How valuable do you think Natsu is?"

"Natsu is another reason why my eyes opened, too," he mentions. "He said not to tell stories about him, so I won't. But I think he's more valuable than the chief wants to recognize. More valuable than sweeping, at least.

"The chief is pretty stubborn, so it won't matter what I say. I have hope that Natsu will get to a place where he's the firefighter he wants to be, though."

Laxus's voice is steady, causing an unexpected flare of hope to light up in Lucy's chest. Weirdly enough, Laxus's words are enough for her to believe that everything will be okay with Natsu. He will get to live his dream job—someday.

"Thank you for sharing me your story," Lucy tells him, knowing that her words aren't enough to express her gratitude.

"Take care of Natsu." Laxus stands up from the table. "He seems to care a whole lot about you."

Lucy tries to receive the advice as much as she can before it starts to hurt her chest. Once Laxus is inside the station, Natsu approaches her.

"How was it?" he asks while sitting across from her.

"Really good," she replies. Her lips have permanently formed into a smile. "His story is really special."

"You think all stories are special," he remarks. "Hey, why does it look like you're more into him than me?"

Lucy lets out a laugh, which causes Natsu to frown. She leans over and places an assuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. I only have eyes for you."

"You better," he mutters. "Anyway, are you ready for dinner tonight? I already have the menu."

"I can't wait." She rises from her spot, brushing the dirt off her pants. "I'm going to run some errands before I come. I'll see you at your place."

"Alright," Natsu says as he reaches for her hand to pull her in. He's about to go in for a kiss, but Lucy moves her cheek just at the right time.

"See you." She sends him a sly smile.

Feeling Natsu's eyes focused on her back as she walks away, Lucy waits until she's in the taxi to let out a sigh of relief. The more time that passes, the more she is convinced that his friend isn't going to ruin the experiment anytime soon.

With that mindset, Lucy can focus on her plans. As she swings by her apartment, her biggest concern is how troublesome she will be tonight.

* * *

Natsu happily hums to himself later that night as he observes his apartment. The veggies are washed, the glazed ham has been in the oven for an hour, the dessert is in the fridge, candles are lit, music is playing—who wouldn't fall in love with him after all this effort?

He doesn't hold back his proud smile as Lucy takes in the view once she arrives.

"Natsu, you shouldn't have done all this!" she gasps. "You even set the table."

"I've been setting up since I left the station," he reveals, not bothering to attempt being humble. "I even woke up early to prep everything. I made my famous recipe; it's the most beautiful creation you'll ever see."

He brings Lucy to the table, offering her to take a seat.

"I can't wait to eat it!" she claps her hands excitedly. She watches him go to the kitchen and open the oven. He returns with a ham on a large plate.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Natsu says, hypnotized by his own food. After setting the ham on the table, he delicately slices her a piece. "Let me know how good it is."

Lucy begins to bite her lip, exchanging a few glances from him to the plate. She makes it obvious that she is hesitating. To make the moment last longer, she takes a long gulp of her water. After setting the cup back down, she slowly opens her mouth.

"Oh, Natsu… I forgot to tell you. I decided I'm not going to eat meat anymore."

Natsu freezes in his spot. "When did you decide that?"

"I started yesterday," she replies.

"You can't just restart tomorrow?" he asks, almost desperately.

"Absolutely not!" Lucy proclaims in disbelief. "It'll throw off my whole digestion track."

Natsu has to use every muscle in his body not to sigh in frustration. Instead, he tries to nod in understanding. "Alright. I don't think the vegetables will fill us up, so it'd be better to go somewhere else then."

"Let's go!" Lucy cheers, pushing herself up from the table. "I know the perfect place!"

Natsu thought he would have enough time to at least take a bite of the ham, but he doesn't get the chance due to Lucy taking him by the hand and out of his place.

Just a short walk from his apartment complex, they enter an Italian restaurant with the words _vegetarian_ _only _printed on the front door. Never in a million years did Natsu think he would be eating at a place like this.

"I've heard good reviews about this place," Lucy says after they order.

"I've never been to a vegetarian place before," Natsu responds, trying to hide the bias in his voice. "Can it really be that good?"

"You'd be surprised at how great vegetarian plates are," she points out.

He hums while taking a sip of his water. "So, what made you decide to go vegetarian?"

"I watched a documentary," she answers, visibly shuddering. "Do you know how awful the meat industry is?"

"I don't want to know." He shakes his head. "How long do you plan to be vegetarian?"

"I'm also doing it for health reasons," she adds. "My dad used to deal with some health issues. Do you know if your parents had any health issues?"

"No idea," Natsu shrugs half-heartedly. "They didn't tell me anything about it if they did."

Lucy notices how vague his tone sounds, but before she gets the chance to press further, their food arrives.

Natsu thought ordering pasta was a safe option, but even the noodles look healthy _and _unfulfilling. He looks over to see a pile of spinach on Lucy's plate. Neither of these plates look satisfying.

Taking his first bite of the pasta, he views Lucy pick at her food. They connect gazes as she glances up from her plate.

"Do you think I'm fat?" she asks bluntly.

Natsu frowns at her sudden shift in tone. "What are you—"

"You're looking at me like I'm fat," she interrupts him. Her voice raises with each word. "I actually love eating spinach!"

Natsu can't stop himself from gaping. He scans the area to see if anyone is staring at them.

"I'm not looking at you that way," he insists with a low voice. "You're one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen, Lucy."

She stops picking at her food, a smile appearing on her lips. "Really? Even if I was twenty pounds heavier?"

"Even if you were thirty pounds heavier," he confirms with a nod.

"Okay, I'll remember that in the future," she replies. With that, she takes a bite of her spinach.

The tension between them feels to be sizzling out by each minute, but Natsu decides to escape it altogether by making sure there is always food in his mouth. He is positive their dinner night couldn't get any worse.

What makes it slightly better is the surprise dessert that the waiters gift them with at the end of their meal. Natsu is sure they must have noticed the tension at their table.

"Ice cream is the best," Lucy sighs out happily, flipping the spoon upside down in her mouth.

"I could eat it every day," he replies.

Allowing Lucy to take the final spoonfuls, Natsu is grateful when they leave the restaurant without another round of her outbursts.

"I'm sorry I ruined dinner for us tonight," Lucy says while they step on the sidewalk.

They pause to stand at a corner and lean against the wall. Since it's dark, they can only see what the hovering streetlights provide them. One light is above them, causing their skin to appear a tinted yellow.

"You can make it up for me next time," Natsu assures.

Not giving her any time to react, he leans into her lips. He rests one arm to the left of Lucy to trap her in. Natsu can feel pent up frustration inside of him as she returns the kiss. He drags his lips across her cheek and gently pecks down to her neck.

"Ah," Lucy nearly yelps. "Yeah, that sounds great."

Natsu mumbles against her skin. "You feel great."

Lucy doesn't have a problem with entertaining him for a while, but she decides to fight against it—she knows this will frustrate him further.

Since she is backed against a wall, she has no choice but to escape his kisses by swiftly squatting down and stepping away. Natsu looks at her dumbfounded, but she makes up for it by giving him a chaste kiss.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She sends him a hopeful smile.

She turns around in search for a taxi. Only have taken three steps away from him, she stops when he speaks behind her.

"How do you always make me feel like that?" Natsu asks.

She looks at him over her shoulder. "Like what?"

"You always smile after we kiss," he points out. "It gives me this warm feeling in my chest."

A giggle leaves Lucy's lips. She brings her hand up in the air and begins to wave. "That sounds like a you problem!"

Not bothering to look at his facial expression in response, she gets into the nearest taxi. As she rides away, she finally feels something new inside her chest.

After ending every night with Natsu, she similarly has a type of warmth in her chest like he described. It's a familiar feeling as though they're actually in a relationship. Although she doesn't receive it when they kiss, she definitely feels it after they've said goodbye each night.

But after tonight, there's an unfamiliar heaviness. She wonders if these are the side effects to being the person she never wanted to become. She knows that the way she treated Natsu tonight was someone's worst nightmare.

She recognizes that this heaviness settling in her chest represents that their relationship isn't going in the right direction—which is exactly what needs to happen after the ten days.

Perhaps everything is going according to plan, after all. That is, if Natsu's friend doesn't come and wreck their relationship before then.

Meanwhile, Natsu returns to his apartment and finishes the entire ham by himself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow, chapter five already?! Where did the time go?**

**I'm so happy that all of you guys are enjoying this story so far. It makes me smile to read all of your reviews! **

**Fun little update about my life: I'm going to Japan! I have the opportunity to study abroad next semester, so I've spent all this year organizing my time abroad. Well, I finally booked my flight! I will be there in September. I'm so pumped, guys.**

**I'm thinking of starting a blog-would any of you guys be interested in reading it? I probably won't promote it, but if you personally message me, I think it'd be cool if you joined me on a real-life journey too! **

**I leave in September, so it's quite a while, but catch me in Tokyo in three months! Ahhh!**

**Well enough about me, here's the new chapter! It's getting real juicy out here.**

**See you soon! Thank you so much for reading, as always :)**

* * *

"Hey, what are you doing right now?"

"Nothing much," Natsu speaks into his phone as he tightens strings to a trash bag. "What's up with you?"

"You want lunch?"

"You don't have to ask me that even once. Come on over, Gray," Natsu responds, not missing a beat.

Finished with his chores for the day, he waits for his friend to arrive at the station. He stands beneath an awning due to the early summer heat.

As soon Gray's motorcycle rolls up on the driveway, Natsu's stomach growls. He cracks a grin when he finds that Gray brought him his favorite—an Italian sandwich with spicy mayo.

Taking their usual seat at the outdoor table, Natsu doesn't hesitate to take a large bite. "Thanks," he says in between bites.

Gray nods while watching his friend happily eat the sandwich. Admittedly, Gray couldn't bring himself to meet up with him yesterday after his episode with Lucy. A part of him regrets ambushing her; he wonders what she thinks of him now.

But most of all, Gray fears that he isn't being loyal to his best friend. He can't figure out if keeping the information about Lucy is betrayal. An overwhelming sense of guilt is scattered throughout his chest.

"So, how are you and the girl?" Gray forces himself to ask, careful enough to speak nonchalantly. "Lucy was her name, right?"

Natsu swallows the last bite and wipes the dripping mayo off the side of his mouth. He lets out a loud sigh. "Can I be honest with you? She's _a lot _to handle right now. I don't know what has gotten into her lately."

His words cause Gray to lift a brow in response. "What has she been doing to you?"

"One second she's great and loving," Natsu begins. "The next second she's being so difficult and toxic. It's suffocating."

Gray opens his mouth to respond, but Natsu is already too fired up to stop venting.

"I made her my famous ham last night, but she didn't eat it because _suddenly _she was a vegetarian. Then, she assumed I thought she was overweight because I was looking at her plate of spinach. I can't believe—"

"Hey, Natsu," Gray stops him gently. "You're starting to yell."

"Sorry," Natsu responds with a large gulp of water. "I don't know how to fix this."

"She reminds me of how Juvia used to act," Gray mentions.

Natsu's jaw drops at the sudden realization. "That's exactly who she's like! How did you and Juvia work through it?"

"Lots of a time and lots of communication," Gray admits. He realizes that this is an opening to sway Natsu. "But do you think Lucy is even worth it? Or would it be better to cut her off?"

Natsu instantly starts to shake his head. "No way. I'm a man of my word, you know that. No matter how difficult Lucy is, I'm determined to win her over. We only have four days left, anyway."

Gray sighs under his breath, expecting nothing else from Natsu. He perks up in his seat again when he gets an idea.

"Hey, why don't we have a guys' night tomorrow? You can bring your fire buddies and I'll bring my coworkers."

Natsu's eyes light up at the idea. "Sign me up for that. We can have it at my place. It's been a while since my home has felt like what it's supposed to feel like—_a home." _

The two share a nod, both satisfied that it worked out. Gray is about to stand up and ride back to work, but he freezes when he catches a glimpse of a car approaching the station.

"Lucy is here," Natsu says.

Gray glances at him, finding Natsu stand and walk towards the car. He actually is taken aback for a second—he has never seen Natsu's eyes soften that quickly before.

"I missed you today!" Lucy shouts while leaping into Natsu's arms.

They share an embrace until he pulls back. "Hey, I have someone I want you to meet this time."

He slides his hand down to intertwine fingers with her, bringing her to the table. Lucy and Gray make eye contact for a split second before they avert gazes to Natsu.

"Lucy, this is my best friend. Gray, this is Lucy," Natsu introduces them.

There's a moment of silence between the three of them, but Lucy makes sure it isn't noticeable.

"Nice to meet you, Gray." She extends her free hand to him.

"Nice to meet you, too," he responds as he shakes her hand. He notices that her palm is sweaty, revealing to him that she is just as nervous as he is.

"How well do you know Natsu?" Lucy asks. After realizing that this is the perfect opportunity to find out what kind of person he is, she goes into reporter mode.

"Was it when we were second years in college?" Gray looks over at Natsu, trying to remember. "Or third years?"

"I thought we met our first year," Natsu responds with a frown. "You sure it wasn't first year?"

"No, because you had just broken up with Lisanna," Gray reminds him.

"Oh," Natsu says plainly.

Natsu is afraid to see Lucy's expression, but he decides to sneak a glance. He's surprised to see her with an amused look.

"You've known each other for a long time, then," she comments.

Natsu tries not to express his shock. He expected her to investigate his past relationships, but she doesn't seem to have any interest in that. Instead, she is more focused on him and Gray's present friendship.

"Lisanna was a childhood friend," Natsu explains, feeling as though he owes it to her.

Lucy slightly shakes her head with an assuring smile. "You don't have to explain it to me. I get it."

"Okay," he answers hesitantly. He isn't sure why he feels the way he does right now; he's impressed by how relaxed she is about it.

Gray clears his throat. "Well, I should probably start heading out."

"Wait!" Lucy abruptly exclaims. Releasing her hand from Natsu's, she rushes over to a nearby tree. "Look, there's a cat!"

Her hurried steps are enough to scare the cat, causing it to jump onto a branch above her. Once she reaches the tree, she tilts her head back and laughs.

"Natsu, look!" She continues to laugh and points at the branch. "You were made for this job!"

Gray has already put his helmet on when Natsu turns to him with tired eyes.

"Good luck. I'll see you at guys' night tomorrow." He pats Natsu on the shoulder.

Natsu lets out a sigh as he starts to walk away. "Does she know that it's pretty rare for firefighters to rescue cats out of trees?" He grumbles to himself.

Grabbing a ladder, he sets it at the tree and starts to reach for the unamused cat. Lucy can't stop herself from giggling as he successfully rescues the feline.

"You should keep him," she suggests. "Look, he's snuggling against you!"

Natsu scoffs, not paying attention to its soft fur. "I don't have time to take care of a cat."

"We can co-parent!" she insists. "But he has to stay at your house. Please!"

He observes Lucy's pleading eyes. Every part of him wants to reject the idea, but after remembering that he's determined to win her over, he accepts the fact that he needs to show his commitment.

"Okay, I'll keep him."

"Yes!" Lucy cheers with a grin. "We're going to be a happy family!"

Natsu gives a small smile in response. Although the station's front yard is shaded by multiple trees, he feels beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. He can start to sense irritation bubbling up inside of him.

"I'm going to go inside and clean up. I'll see you later tonight," he tells her as he takes the ladder and lugs away.

"Um, Natsu?" Lucy asks before he gets too far away. As he turns around, she points to her puckered lips.

Natsu can physically feel his shoulders slump, but he tries to hide it as he returns to her. After they kiss, she tilts her head.

"Did you have a sandwich for lunch? I can taste it."

"Yeah, I did," he responds simply, already turning away.

"With meat in it?" she asks, although he doesn't bother to look back at her.

"Yep!" he answers loud enough to hear her. "See you later!"

Lucy presses her hand to her lips in order for her laugh not to leave her lips. Natsu has already entered the station, leaving her on the yard alone.

"You don't even know what else is coming," she giggles under her breath. With that, she leaves the station to start the next part of her assignment for the day.

* * *

Natsu has lost track on how many times his phone has buzzed in his pocket for the past hour. He has accepted that the vibration will forever be imprinted on his leg.

Once he is back to his apartment—with a cat in his arms—he checks his phone to find Lucy calling again. He lets the call ring until it automatically declines. He groans when she leaves _another _voicemail. 30 voicemails, to be exact.

"What is wrong with her?" he mutters, a wave of irritation returning to his chest. "She's making this so much more difficult than it needs to be."

He decides that it would be best to just sit down and breathe, so he kicks off his shoes and falls face first into the couch. He shuts his eyes, finally feeling some of the pressure fade.

The moment is promptly ruined as a round of knocks pound on the door.

"It's unlocked!" Natsu turns his head to shout at the door.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouts while entering the apartment. "Where are you?"

He raises his arm up from the couch. As she walks towards him, he pushes himself to sit up.

"So, I did something a little crazy today," Lucy says with a bashful smile.

"What did you do?" he asks, almost afraid to know the answer.

"Well, I was messing around at work today," she explains. "And then I suddenly came up with the perfect name for our daughter!"

Natsu doesn't have any time to react as he watches her pull out a journal from her purse. She sits next to him, opening the journal and half of the pages landing on his lap.

"Here are all the combinations I made with our names." She drags her index finger down the lists on each page. Her finger stops at the final, circled name. "Look, her name is going to Nashi! Isn't it cute?"

"What makes you think we'll have a daughter?" Natsu's brows furrow in response.

Lucy gapes at him in disbelief. She folds her arms across her chest and turns away with an audible huff.

"I'm sorry." He forces himself to reach over and place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I shouldn't have questioned that."

"That really hurt my feelings. You don't think we could have a daughter someday?"

The realistic side of Natsu wants to be bluntly honest, but he feels as though he has to read a script. He swallows back his pride.

"I think we can be hopeful about it," he replies.

Lucy shifts in her spot to send him a delighted smile. "Let's be hopeful together!"

He nods, allowing her to nestle into his chest. Both of them let out sighs, although they're for different reasons.

"Let's stay in for the rest of the night?" Lucy suggests.

"Please," Natsu mumbles in agreement. "Let's just relax."

Before she can change her mind, he leans over and turns on the TV. Just for good measure, he closes his eyes and dozes off until it's too late to commit to anything for the rest of the night.

Meanwhile on the other side of the couch, Lucy can hardly believe that Natsu is still invested into the relationship after being shown the ridiculous journal she made. If it was the other way around, she would be finding excuses to never see him again.

Natsu must be a superhuman if his feelings for her are still as genuine when they first met.

And yet, Lucy can't keep herself from wondering if her initial feelings are still the same as the current, swirling ones in her chest.

* * *

"You're _still _together after all that?!" Cana bursts out incredulously once Lucy has updated her from last night's events. "He hasn't even tried breaking up with you?"

"I have no idea what I'm doing wrong," Lucy groans. She takes a bite out of the Italian sandwich she has been craving all day. "I've been clingy, needy, whiny, obsessive… I don't see why he's still with me."

"You know what," Cana begins with a mischievous smile. "I could make up some kind of drink for you to give him. It'd definitely make him dislike you for a bit."

Lucy shakes her head, dismissing the idea. "I feel like not even that will work. I have to do more than that. It's already been five days. I have to do something _big _tomorrow_." _

"Why not tonight?" Cana asks.

"He's having a guys' night tonight with his friends," Lucy explains.

"That sounds like something he wouldn't want to miss out on," Cana points out.

Lucy's brows raise in recognition as she takes another bite of her sandwich. She takes a large gulp of her water.

"Cana, you are _so _right!" she exclaims.

Cana sends her a grin before taking a sip of her mysterious drink of the day. "Don't forget to take your notes."

Lucy nods before hastily adjusting the outline to her next move. She planned on taking it easy tonight to prepare new, absurd ways to get on Natsu's last nerve. But of course, spontaneity always makes its appearance.

Anticipation begins to flow through Lucy's veins as the workday comes to an end. A part of her doesn't even know if she's going to be able to pull off her new plan.

"You got it," Cana encourages her, sensing her apprehension.

Lucy sends her a grateful smile as she picks up her belongings. "Thanks. Don't drink too much tonight."

"You know that's not possible!" Cana calls out to her, causing Lucy to scoff as she leaves the office.

Once Lucy is outside, she reads her watch. Natsu should be at his apartment by now, probably setting up for the guys' night. If she wants her plan to work, she'll have to wait at least another hour. That will at least give him some time to enjoy, too. To kill some time, she enters a clothing store.

Simultaneously, Natsu has never felt so refreshed coming home. The best part about a guys' night is that there is no prerequisite for setting up. All it takes is showing up and deciding what to do on the spot.

Pouring the cat some food, Natsu can't hold back his excitement as the first round of knocks sound throughout his apartment. Soon enough, his place is filled with some of his best friends, along with some of Gray's familiar coworkers.

"Who wants to play some video games? Elfman and Laxus, you in?" Natsu offers.

"As a man, I can't refuse a challenge," Elfman responds while Laxus simply shrugs in response. "Give me the controller."

It isn't long until the three of them are yelling at one another, roughly slamming on the controller buttons. Natsu's stomach even starts to hurt because of how much he laughs. He genuinely is having the time of his life for the first time in a while.

"Since I've won each round, I'll let someone else play," Natsu announces proudly. He looks over at one of Gray's coworkers. "Here, Lyon. You're up."

"I don't even know how to play this game," Lyon mumbles, but still accepts the controller.

Grabbing a water bottle from the fridge, Natsu takes a long drink. He sighs out in relief and watches his friends play for a moment. He can't remember the last time he has experienced this much freedom.

"It's been a while since we've all gotten together like this," Gray mentions as he takes another water from the fridge.

"Yeah, no kidding," Natsu agrees. "I definitely needed this night."

Although his words say otherwise, Lucy lingers in the back of his mind. After spending several consecutive nights together, he feels as though he should be seeing her. He isn't sure if this means that he misses her. However, he knows that there's a fun side to Lucy—she could surely have fun playing video games with him, too.

Making a mental note to invite her over after the guys leave, Natsu rejoins his group of friends. His stomach aches from laughing, his cheeks hurt from smiling, and his thumbs hurt from all the unsystematic button-pressing.

After about an hour of thoroughly enjoying himself, Natsu is in the midst of cheering Elfman on to beat Laxus when he hears the door behind him open. He curiously casts a look over his shoulder to see who it is.

"Hi, Natsu!" Lucy nearly sings as she enters the apartment. "I just wanted to come by and say hi!"

"How did you get in here?" he asks, wide-eyed.

"I was able to get a copy of the key," she replies nonchalantly. She walks closer to observe Natsu's friends, some of them acknowledging her while others remain focused on the TV. "Are these your friends?"

Without a second thought, Lucy extends her hands and shakes all of the guys' hands with a large grin. She waits for Elfman to pause the game until she introduces herself.

"I'm Lucy. Nice to meet everyone!"

The guys mutter a hello in response before Elfman returns to the game. The sound of the TV slightly masks the awkward atmosphere.

Gray leans into Natsu's ear. "Is she crazy?"

Before Natsu can respond, Lucy makes an announcement.

"I brought snacks!"

All of the guys' seem surprised at her statement, some of them looking at her with hopeful eyes. The guys have been snacking on peanuts for the last hour.

Lucy reaches inside of her purse and slides out a veggie tray. She places it on the coffee table in front of the TV.

"Eat up!" she tells them excitedly. Being able to see all of their disappointment, she decides to wait until one of them feels obligated to open it and take a celery stick.

Lucy has to bite her lip in order to stop herself from laughing as she goes into the kitchen. Through the opening to the living area, it's obvious how much they don't want to eat it.

She stands in the kitchen for a few moments while the guys slowly start to make conversation again. In the midst of observing the back of their heads, she catches a glance of the plant that she placed on the windowsill several days ago. Walking over to it, she finds that nothing has sprouted yet.

"Natsu!" Lucy dramatically gasps. She takes the pot and brings it over to him. "Have you not been watering our plant?"

"N-No, I haven't," Natsu admits, helplessly stuttering. "It's just sleeping, that's all."

Lucy is able to see the guys staring at them from her peripheral vision. This setup could not have been more perfect. She takes a deep breath before speaking.

"What if it's dead already? You let our plant die! Will you let us die, too?" She doesn't give Natsu any time to respond. "You know what… I'm leaving and taking the plant with me!"

With the pot in her arms, Lucy swiftly turns away and grabs her purse. She storms out of the apartment, not bothering to look behind her. Her hurried steps almost make it to the elevator when she hears footsteps following after her. She has to suppress her disbelief when Natsu sets his hand on her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" they ask simultaneously.

"This is getting a little weird," Natsu responds first. "You're acting insane, Lucy."

She lifts a brow. "Are you calling me insane?"

"No, I said you're _acting," _he clarifies. His voice comes out harsher than he meant it to.

Lucy lets out a short laugh, pressing the elevator button. "You know, I don't think I can be with someone who thinks I'm insane."

The door to the elevator slides open. Once she is inside, she turns around to send him a final goodbye wave. Natsu already has his hand at the door to stop it from closing.

"Can you tell me where the real Lucy went?" he demands. "Where is the person I knew before? The one who was observant and kind? The one who wanted to be a dedicated journalist?"

Lucy opens her mouth to respond, but Natsu keeps going.

"Lately, you've been all over the place!" he proclaims. "I don't even know who you are anymore."

She sends him a hard gaze. "So, does this mean we're over?"

He returns her stare, swallowing thickly. "Yeah. I guess it does."

After he takes a step back, she nods in understanding. "Okay, fine."

"Fine," Natsu sighs out. His arms stay limp by his sides as the elevator closes.

Once the elevator starts to lower, Lucy leans against the wall with a loud sigh. She can sense the intensity from their argument slowly fizzling out of her body.

"Finally," she breathes out.

She stands there for a moment, realizing that a pit is developing in her chest. Not out of hurt, but out of loneliness. It's a heaviness that reminds her of a few nights ago. Lucy's façade isn't as strong as it used to be—she is finally feeling her true self peek through.

As Natsu returns to his apartment, he tries to avoid the concerned looks on the guys' faces. He makes direct eye contact with Gray.

"It's over," Natsu states plainly.

Immediately, Gray charges towards him and firmly takes his shoulders. "Natsu. You have _four _more days! You can't give up now!"

"Did you just _see _what she was like?" Natsu scoffs while taking a step back from Gray's grip. "No way."

"What about couples' therapy?" Gray suggests.

"What does that even mean?" Natsu scrutinizes at him, trying to see if he's serious.

"That's how Juvia and I were able to work everything out between us," Gray reveals. "Now, go catch up with Lucy and tell her you're still dedicated to her. You want that job, right?"

Despite being exhausted, annoyed, and confused all at once, Natsu begins to recognize the reality of the situation. His heart races inside of his chest.

"Okay, okay. I'll be right back," he says before taking off.

Since the elevator would be too slow, Natsu goes for the stairs instead. He jumps down three at a time until he reaches the lobby. He's out of breath as he rushes outside. Luckily, Lucy is still close enough for him to call out to her.

"Lucy!" Natsu shouts. "Wait!"

Lucy's instantly stops in her tracks. She slowly turns around, finding Natsu catch up to her. She can hardly believe that he's _still _chasing after her.

Once Natsu is in front of her, he takes a moment to regain his breaths. "I'm so sorry," he says in between breaths. "Can you forgive me? I don't know what I was just saying back there."

Lucy waits until his breathing regulates. She tightly grips onto the plant pot as she watches him. If she looked insane at the elevator, she isn't sure what to call Natsu right now.

Natsu knows how desperate he appears right now, but he also knows that he needs to embarrass himself to make his despair look believable. His words frantically spew out of him. "Can you give me another chance?"

"Haven't you had enough already?" she asks, her voice escaping as a whisper.

"I'll do anything to get you back," he nearly pleads. "Gray told me about this thing him and his girlfriend used to do. It's couples' therapy. Would you like to do that with me?"

"Couples' therapy?" she echoes. As Natsu nods, she suddenly gets an idea. "Actually, I know a doctor who would give us a free session. I could call her and schedule an emergency appointment."

"Yes, let's do that." He reaches for her hand, brushing his lips across her knuckles.

Lucy presses her lips together and gently pulls her hand back. "I don't have to like you right now. So, I'll see you tomorrow."

Without another word, she continues to walk away. She doesn't allow herself to look back as Natsu shouts out endless thank yous. She physically cannot believe anything she just witnessed.

Natsu returns to his apartment with the most clenched jaw he has ever made in his life. He cannot believe that Lucy has caused him to turn into someone he never thought he would become.


	6. Chapter 6

**Woot woot, chapter 6! Here we are!**

**It seems like a lot of you guys are a lot more invested into this story than I expected! That makes me so happy.**

**I think as a writer, I have these expectations that I want certain events to happen, so I completely disregard the characters' feelings. Which is funny, because I'm a very empathetic person in real life! I should probably be more conscious of that as I write...**

**But I'm also like, this is such a ridiculous rom-com that it makes sense for silly events like this to happen! Does that make sense?**

**The neat thing about being an amateur writer is that all of your reviews allow me to grow! So thank you for that!**

**This chapter and the next chapters are my favorite out of the entire story-hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The second the clock hits noon the next day, Lucy knocks on an apartment door with Natsu standing by her side.

Leading up to this moment, Lucy spent all morning going through her apartment and removing any indication that she lives there. From picture frames to clothes laying around to reusable cups she may have brought to Natsu's place, she makes sure there isn't a trace of her.

Besides quickly telling Levy the rundown of what she wants her to do, Lucy didn't give much time to prepare. However, Lucy trusts that both of their acting skills will be enough to pull this off.

"How do you know this doctor?" Natsu asks while they wait for the door to open.

"We went to college together," Lucy explains.

Natsu sniffs the air. "This place kind of smells like you."

Lucy's eyes widen, but she is saved by the door. On cue, the door slowly creaks open. Standing on the other side of the door is Levy wearing her infamous reading glasses. Although her eyes are stern, Lucy can tell Levy is loving every moment of this.

"Lucy and Natsu. Come in."

Lucy pretends to look for the couch as they enter. She prays that Natsu isn't examining the apartment too much. Once they're comfortably seated, Levy sits directly across from them with a clipboard in hand.

"How have you been, Lucy?" Levy asks.

"I'm great," Lucy replies with a smile. "Just living life my best life with Natsu."

Levy hums, taking a look at Natsu. It isn't until now when Lucy remembers that they haven't met each other yet. Lucy slightly clears her throat when she notices that Levy seems to be looking at him for a little _too _long.

"Alright, let's get to know each other," Levy begins suddenly. "How long have you been together?"

"Today makes seven days," Lucy responds.

Natsu stares at Levy scribbling on the clipboard. He realizes that it has only been a _week, _yet it feels like it's been a decade.

"Is it too early to be seeing a therapist?" Natsu asks curiously.

Levy's scribbles pause while Lucy sucks in an animated gasp.

"Did you hear that tone?" she asks with a hint of hurt in her voice.

Levy glances up at them above her glasses as Natsu takes a deep breath.

"This is what she does." He points at her accusingly. "One second she's sweet, the next second she turns into a whole different person!"

"Do you think you're addicted to rage, Natsu?" Levy inquires with complete seriousness.

"Rage?!" Natsu exclaims with bewilderment. Levy raises her brows, causing him to lower his voice. "Sorry. Rage runs in my family, but no. I'm stronger than that."

"I want you to close your eyes and take a deep breath," Levy advises him gently.

Lucy is amazed at her best friend's skills as they exchange a few deep breaths. She can tell that Levy definitely has been watching too many movies. But even then, she plays the role perfectly.

Once they've done a few rounds, Levy gives him a satisfied smile. "Okay, I think I know what step one is for your relationship."

"Alright," Natsu nods. "What do we need to do?"

"You and Lucy need to spend some _quality _time together. No phones, no distractions," Levy answers. "Natsu, do you have any family that lives around here?"

"I have grandparents that live on the other side of Magnolia," he responds.

"Why don't you go visit them for a couple of days? You and Lucy can have more quality time there."

"That sounds like a great idea," he realizes aloud. "Let me look at my calendar."

As Natsu concentrates on his phone, Lucy sends Levy a hard gaze. The most she expected for Levy to do was tell Natsu to empathize with her or practice a few bonding exercises. She didn't expect to be signed up for a two-day getaway.

Levy notices Lucy's racing thoughts, so she sends her a sheepish expression.

"Okay," Natsu speaks up. "Let's go today."

"Today?" Lucy and Levy repeat simultaneously.

"A-Are you sure?" Lucy asks, uncertain. She turns to Natsu, finding him with a determined look.

"I want to work through this, only if you do, too," he responds firmly.

Lucy has no choice but to nod. "Okay. Let's do it, then."

"Well, that concludes this session." Levy stands up, beckoning them out of the apartment. "If you would like another session, you will be charged."

"You were a great help," Natsu tells her with genuine sincerity. "We'll let you know if we need anything."

They stand from the couch, but Lucy stops a few feet from the door. "I'm going to stay back here for a bit. I'll meet you at your place in an hour."

"Since we're riding on my bike, just bring a backpack," he replies.

"Okay, thanks."

Lucy blinks incredulously as Natsu leans in and gently kisses her forehead. He looks down at her with a glint in his eye.

"This is going to be awesome," he says.

With that, he leaves the apartment. Not wasting a second, Lucy immediately turns to Levy with a scowl.

"I'm sorry!" Levy bursts out before she is lectured. "I didn't think he'd actually agree to it!"

"This wasn't in my outline," Lucy groans. She starts to pace through the apartment. "What if our relationship gets better after these next two days?"

"Well, what else did you expect out of couples' therapy?" Levy counters. "You know, Natsu is actually a _really_ attractive guy. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if you worked things out."

"That's not the point of this experiment," Lucy retorts. She rubs her temples in distress. "Should I actually go with him?"

"You're going," Levy answers simply. "I'm sure you'll think of something while you're there. Also, consider it a treat for yourself after working so hard this past week."

Lucy decides to take Levy's words with a grain of salt. While she can agree she has worked harder than she thought she would, she is fearful of what will happen these next two days.

What kind of home does he live in? How will Natsu's grandparents treat her? Does he have siblings? What will they do during their stay? Will they sleep in separate rooms?

Lucy gulps as these thoughts drift in and out of her mind as she packs her bag. She has no idea what they will do together, but a part of her can't help but be excited to experience something new with Natsu.

"Keep me updated on everything!" Levy calls out to her once Lucy has her backpack set.

Lucy sends her a small smile while closing the door. She can feel anticipation swelling up inside of her, but she tries her best to suppress it. The last thing she needs to involve in this mess are her emotions.

Lucy's legs seem to be moving automatically as they take her to Natsu's apartment. There, he is already outside on his motorcycle.

"Have I been on this one before?" she asks, noticing that the color looks slightly different.

"Gray has one that's pretty similar," Natsu replies. "Anyway, you ready?"

It isn't until now when she begins to piece together that it was Gray who nearly flattened her all that time ago. But now isn't the time for that. Lucy sits behind Natsu and wraps her arms around his waist.

"You might want to hold tighter than that," he mentions.

Lucy yelps, causing Natsu to chuckle as they drive away. Due to the deafening wind, they don't get to exchange too many words. She's grateful—she still isn't sure how she wants to present herself these next two days.

Only an hour has passed when the city buildings disappear, replaced with luscious trees and wider streets. Even though Lucy has never been on the outskirts of Magnolia, she isn't disappointed. She can't believe it took her this long to come out here.

Soon enough, Natsu drives into a neighborhood of cookie cutter houses. Several streets later, they are entering a driveway to a petit home.

"Welcome home," Natsu says, shifting gears on the motorcycle.

Lucy hops off the bike to stretch her arms and legs. She studies the house in front of her; it reminds her of traditional homes on magazines.

She follows Natsu to check if the front door is unlocked. The door opens and he cocks his head to the side to welcome her in.

As she enters the home, Lucy is instantly hit with a smell that causes her eyes to water. The smell surrounds her with a distant familiarity. She blinks her tears away before Natsu can notice.

"Igneel! Grandeeny! I'm here!" Natsu calls out.

Lucy sees a silver-haired woman appear. She has permanent wrinkles that accompany her warm smile.

"Natsu, it's so good to see you again," Grandeeny says. She gives him a loving embrace, peeking over his shoulder at Lucy. She pulls away with the same smile. "So, you're Lucy?"

"It's nice to meet you," Lucy replies, sticking her hand out. She's surprised when Grandeeny hugs her instead. The warmth of the hug is enough for the back of her eyes to start watering again.

Lucy can't figure out why her eyes are reacting this way. She doesn't have much time to think due to the sudden movement of someone running through the living room.

"Wendy has gotten so big!" Natsu proclaims. He picks up the toddler, her vibrant blue hair swaying over her face. He helps her push it back with a grin.

"Natsu is big, too!" Wendy points out.

They share a laugh until another body crashes against Natsu's legs. He looks down to find a boy mischievously giggling.

"Sting, you're going to shock the whole house!" Natsu teases. He sets Wendy down to wrestle with the boy.

Lucy watches the three play with one another in amusement. A sense of awe develops inside of her at Natsu's softened personality. He ends up chasing after Sting and Wendy somewhere else in the house, leaving her alone.

She takes that as an opportunity to observe her surroundings. She sees multiple pictures hanging on the walls, all capturing different ages of Natsu. His smile still hasn't changed, although she wonders if his hair has actually gotten brighter over the years.

"You can take your stuff upstairs," Grandeeny tells her, inviting her further into the house. "You'll be staying in the last room on the right. We'll meet you in the backyard."

"Thank you," Lucy says gratefully.

After stepping upstairs, she enters the bedroom to realize that it is Natsu's room. It's clear that the room has aged along with him—some spots on the walls have chipped paint, the carpet has several stains, and the closet is filled with moving boxes.

There are a couple of plastic trophies sitting on a shelf, forcing Lucy to stand on her tip-toes to read the awards. She stifles a laugh when she reads that they're all for eating competitions. She'll definitely have to ask him about that sometime.

She turns back around to place her backpack down on the bed. She pauses after she realizes that it's _just _a full bed. She is moments away from a train wreck of thoughts, but she dismisses her worries for when the time comes.

To distract herself, she wanders to the window and takes in the view of the backyard. She can see Wendy and Sting still happily playing together, which causes her to become misty-eyed again.

It isn't until that moment once Lucy recognizes the reason for her tears. She is being reminded of a time when she lived like this. Having her own bedroom, looking outside to see a family, being unconditionally loved in her own home—she didn't realize how much she missed it until now.

Lucy jumps as a hand gently lands on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Natsu asks.

"I'm fine!" she assures. She looks at him while rubbing her eye. "I just have something in my eye."

Natsu looks at her skeptically, obviously not convinced. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"It's not time yet," she tells him as softly as she can. She tries to change the subject. "Is your grandpa home?"

"Not yet. Grandeeny told me that Igneel went out to get some ingredients for dinner tonight," he answers.

Lucy tilts her head. "You call them by their first names?"

Natsu blinks several times before realizing. "Oh, right. I haven't told you yet. They're not my actual grandparents. They're my foster grandparents."

Lucy doesn't hide back her puzzled expression. "You're a foster child?"

"My parents put me up for adoption as soon as I was born, so I never met them," he explains. "I had foster parents, but their house became too full, so they sent me here when I was 15."

"Are Sting and Wendy foster children, too?" she asks.

Natsu nods. "After experiencing me, Grandeeny and Igneel wanted to foster their own kids."

Another wave of awe washes over Lucy. Over this past week, she has been so intrigued at the stories of people Natsu allowed her to meet. Yet here she was, forgetting to consider Natsu and all of the incredible layers he has, too.

"I lost my parents when I was 15," Lucy blurts out.

Natsu hums, his eyes softening at her. After spending so much time with Lucy, he can finally discern all of the layers everyone has—her included.

"It sounds like we both have stories," he mentions.

"I guess we do," she replies quietly.

They stand in front of each other for a few moments. The silence between them is heavy, but Lucy is comforted at how closer she already feels to Natsu.

"Natsu! Lucy! Igneel is here!" Grandeeny's voice travels up the stairs.

Lucy's heart leaps into her throat as Natsu reaches over to take her hand. Even though they've held hands before, this time feels the most genuine of all. She allows him to lead her out of the room. Once they're in the kitchen, they find Igneel with his back to them. Natsu gets his attention by clearing his throat.

"Hey, Igneel."

Igneel turns around, a large grin immediately spreading across his lips. Wrinkles decorate his face, although they sink deeper than Grandeeny's. Despite not being blood related to Natsu, their smiles are strikingly similar.

"Welcome home, Natsu." Igneel doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around him and tightly embrace him. "It's been too long."

"I was here for Christmas remember?" Natsu remarks.

"When was that again?" Igneel asks, rubbing his head to jog his memory.

"Five months ago," Grandeeny reminds him.

Igneel shrugs and directs his gaze to Lucy. "So, you're the one!"

"The one?" Lucy repeats curiously.

Natsu opens his mouth to interject, but Igneel doesn't give him a chance.

"You're the first one that Natsu has brought home to us and meet!"

Lucy can't hold back her wide eyes. She turns to Natsu, but he avoids her gaze with shaded cheeks.

"Well, I'm happy to be here," she says, realizing how much she means it. "Thank you for welcoming me here."

"We try," Igneel sends her another grin. "Natsu, why don't you help me cook dinner? Grandeeny and Lucy can set up the table outside."

As Lucy follows Grandeeny outside, she picks up Natsu muttering to Igneel.

"What are we cooking tonight? Lucy doesn't eat meat."

Lucy mentally curses at herself for her selfish, fake eating habits. She feels as though the way she acted this past week is slapping her in the face; however, it's through kindness and love. Is this what it feels to be killed with kindness?

It isn't long until the table is set and Lucy is sitting with all types of toddlers. She knows Wendy and Sting, but there are two she hasn't met yet.

"That's Rogue and that's Sherria," Natsu introduces them.

"We are best friends!" Wendy announces proudly, pointing at Sherria.

"That's great," Lucy responds with a slight laugh. She directs her attention to Rogue, seeing his averted eyes. "Rogue, who is your best friend?"

"Sting because he's my brother," he answers with a hushed voice.

Lucy glances at Natsu to see him nodding. She has officially lost track on how many times she has been amazed at how intricate this family is.

"Dinner is served," Igneel presents as he places a dish in the center of the table. "Cheesy zucchini casserole made just for you, Lucy!"

"T-Thank you," Lucy stutters, taken aback at how delicious it looks.

"Don't get too flattered," Natsu remarks as he reaches over to take a piece. "Igneel used to be a chef back in the day. He can make anything."

That doesn't make her feel any better, but Lucy expresses her gratitude by making sure her plate is nearly licked clean. She almost does because the casserole is that good.

In the midst of eating, Lucy observes Natsu as he speaks to his family. This is a whole new side to him. While she knows about seven days' worth of his life, he updates Igneel and Grandeeny on the past five months.

She learns about his new work uniform, a new restaurant tried out and loved it, the pain in his shoulder from high school still exists, and now he has a cat to take care of. For some reason, Lucy's heart swells at how alive Natsu is as he tells these stories.

"Are you still thinking of leaving central Magnolia for a place with more activity?" Grandeeny asks.

Natsu hesitates, which causes Lucy to wonder if there's more to what he reveals.

"I'm just waiting until I have more options," he answers.

As the sun sinks further beneath the horizon and the air starts to become chilly, the family takes that as a sign to go inside. Lucy reaches over to stack the plates and carry them inside.

"Natsu and I will handle the dishes," she assures.

Igneel and Grandeeny don't argue, showing their ages as they yawn.

"Well, we're going to put the kids to their rooms and head to bed. What are your plans for tomorrow?" Igneel asks.

Natsu shrugs and casts a look at Lucy. "We don't really have anything to do."

"Why don't you go explore the beach?" Grandeeny suggests. "They've done some renovations to the pier."

"Then, it sounds like we're doing that," he replies easily. "Goodnight, you two."

With a shared shrug, Igneel and Grandeeny take the sleepy toddlers into their rooms upstairs. Lucy has only touched one plate when Natsu takes it from her hands.

"Hey, let me help," she insists while trying to take it back.

He shakes his head. "Nope, you're a guest here. Guests aren't allowed to help."

Lucy purses her lips, leaning over to take another plate. Natsu blocks her by sticking his hips out and bumping into her. She giggles and pokes his side to make him to jump. Their laughs blend with the sound of dishes clinking against one another.

Clearly not getting the chance to help, Lucy lets out a sigh in defeat.

"You can get ready for bed," he tells her. "I'll be up there soon."

Lucy has no choice but to return upstairs. After finding the bathroom, she decides to wash her face and slip into more comfortable clothes. She can feel a butterfly or two swirling in her tummy; their time here has already felt too good to be true.

However, she stops in her tracks when she enters the bedroom. Natsu is taking a few pillows and blankets to toss them on the floor.

"What are you doing?" she questions.

"I wasn't sure how you felt sharing a bed with me," he responds.

"It's fine," she guarantees with a wave of her hand. "We can sleep together."

The words come out suggestive, which causes Lucy's cheeks to warm up. Before he notices, she helps him put back the blankets and pillows. After that, she looks into her backpack.

"It's only eight o'clock," Natsu sighs out. "What are we supposed to do—"

He doesn't finish his question as his eyes land on the deck of cards that Lucy holds up.

"Since you said you normally win any game you play," she says while shuffling the deck. "I wanted to see how much you'd win tonight."

"You're on," he challenges her.

Sitting crisscrossed on the bed, they play all types of card games until the middle of the night. Oftentimes, the card stack falls over because of the cushioned surface. It isn't long until Natsu and Lucy migrate to the floor instead.

There are moments when they accidentally raise their voice or laugh too loud. In response, they quickly press a hand to their mouth and listen for one of the toddler's cries. When enough time has passed, they resume the game.

It isn't until Lucy has won her third game in a row when Natsu falls back on the floor and sprawls out his body.

"Unbelievable," he sighs out. "Not even Gray has beat me this many times."

"What can I say?" Lucy shrugs with a smug look. She catches a glimpse of the alarm clock and gapes at the time. "Natsu! It's almost three in the morning."

"We should probably go to sleep," he admits with a yawn. "Igneel and Grandeeny have to take the kids to school before they go to work, so we're on our own tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan." She stands up to return the deck of cards to her backpack.

They're silent as Lucy lifts the covers and snuggles beneath them. Natsu waits until she's comfortable and then leans over to turn off the lamp. As darkness overcomes them, she holds her breath as he joins her under the covers.

Suddenly, the bed feels a lot smaller than when they were sitting on top of it. She can feel his body heat radiating next to her.

"I sometimes get overheated when I sleep," he admits, his voice disappearing into the darkness. "Sorry if it gets too hot."

"You're okay," she responds softly. She's not ready for them to go to sleep yet. "Hey, I meant to ask you earlier. When did you get those trophies?"

"My eating competition ones?" he asks.

Lucy nods, forgetting that he can't see her. The sound of her hair pressing against the pillow is enough for her nod to become audible.

"It's sort of embarrassing, so don't make fun of me," he tells her. "In high school, we used to have eating competitions."

"You competed in all of them, didn't you?" she lightly laughs out.

"Every single one of them," he replies proudly. "I was the top eater in my grade."

She can't help but continue to laugh, Natsu promptly joining her. Their laughs sound like lullabies as sleepiness begins to settle. They're quiet again, which allows their eyes to slowly flutter close. Lucy is hardly awake when she hears his voice.

"Today was really fun with you, Luce."

"No one has ever called me that before."

"I just did."

"I like it."

"I thought you would."

Neither of them can fight their eyelids anymore. Natsu wasn't lying when he said his body overheats, but Lucy finds it oddly comforting. This entire trip so far has been just that—so pleasant that it makes her feel like everything will be okay.

With a warm blanket pulled up to her chin, she allows herself to enter her sweet dreams and imagine what tomorrow will hold.


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, guys. This chapter makes my heart _squeeze. _**

**Although there is plenty of angst coming your way, it's not a true story of mine if it doesn't have an overload of Nalu fluff beforehand! This fluff keeps me alive. Seriously-I think I need it to survive?**

**I don't think there will ever be a time I write a story that doesn't have sweet romance in it. I actually tried challenging myself in one of my poetry classes to write anything but romance... it was so difficult. **

**I ended up writing about some of my personal experiences or mundane routines, but I feel like even in that I romanticized it LOL.**

**All that to say, I love this chapter and if I could marry it I would.**

**Also, if any of you guys have recommendations for some sweet Nalu fics, please let me know some of your faves! While I write plenty of it, it would be a nice change if I read it.**

**Alright alright, let's get to the story. I love you all and thank you so much for reading!**

* * *

Lucy nearly forgets where she is the next morning. Her eyes open to a spinning ceiling fan as she lies on her back. Because of the weight next to her, she is caught in the middle of the bed.

She wants to stretch her arms in the air but is pressed down on the firm mattress. She hears sleep-induced mumbles beside her. While she turns her head to the sound, she has to suppress her yelp.

Natsu's face is centimeters away, securely trapping her with a protective arm draped over her waist. She isn't sure if it's worth moving since it'd probably wake him up. However, the urge to empty her bladder is too much to ignore.

Little by little, she attempts to shift to the side of the bed. If she is careful enough, his arm should slide off her waist. Her leg loosely dangles off the bed when she hears him stir. She freezes and sneaks a glance at him, but it's too late.

"Running away?" Natsu asks, his deep voice soaked in seven hours of sleep. He sets her free by using his hands to rub his eyes. Once he's finished, he sends her a gentle smile.

Lucy's heart has never softened faster. Although he has the worst bedhead she has ever seen, his sweet smile is enough to make up for it.

"Your eyes are lighter in the morning," she says with her voice also rougher than usual.

"Yours are, too." He reaches over and pokes her forehead, causing her to giggle.

"I don't remember the last time I didn't wake up to an alarm," she admits.

"Same, actually," he agrees. "Should we look at the time?"

Lucy lifts her head to look over Natsu and at the clock. As her eyes read the time, she presses her lips together and shakes her head.

"Do I want to know?" he asks.

"You don't," she responds. Now that her bladder is about to burst, she sits up and stretches her arms above her head.

Natsu watches her, noticing how the sunlight sparkles across her skin. He feels the desire to reach out and touch her but doesn't get the chance due to her scampering away.

By the time she is back from the bathroom, he has already made the bed. After taking his own look at the clock and reading that it's almost eleven, he didn't want to waste any more time.

"Oh, thanks," she says after seeing the bed.

"No problem." He holds onto a stack of his clothes. "You can get dressed in here. Once we're ready, we can get breakfast somewhere."

"More like lunch," she comments.

Natsu chuckles. "Yeah, that sounds better, anyway."

After he closes the door, Lucy reaches for her phone to check for the weather. However, as she turns on her phone, she is met with a flood of text messages from Levy, emails from Erza, and social media notifications.

"It's going fine," Lucy texts Levy back. "I'll tell you everything when I get back."

She ignores Levy's immediate responses while getting dressed. She wants to remind Levy that it was her idea for them to have _quality_ time without distractions, but she decides to not reply.

"You can come in," Lucy calls out once Natsu knocks on the door.

Once he enters the room, the two stare at one another for a few seconds. They simultaneously release a laugh.

"How did we end up matching?" he asks with amusement.

She shrugs with her own entertained smile. Lucy wears a baby blue blouse while Natsu wears a baby blue t-shirt. They also both wear dark pants; they look more like a couple than ever before.

"We can leave now." He beckons her to follow him downstairs.

"Wait, Natsu," she stops him. "Do you think we could leave our phones here?"

She isn't sure how he's going to react as he pauses. Her eyes follow him as he takes his phone out of his pocket and tosses it on the bed. She grins and does the same.

"As long as one of us has a watch, we'll be fine," Natsu says as they go downstairs.

The air feels fresh on their skin when they step outside. Even though they're still in Magnolia, the weather here is much cooler.

"We're not far from the beach," Natsu explains, answering her thoughts.

"I've never been on this side of Magnolia," Lucy admits.

"You're in for a treat, then," he responds as he hops on the bike. "I haven't been around in a while, so some parts will be new to me, too."

Joining him on the bike, they move at a much more relaxed speed. Natsu does it on purpose, so they can take in their surroundings as they drive. It's not long until they enter a parking lot to a diner.

"You love diners, don't you?" she points out as he parks.

"I'm old-fashioned, remember? This diner is the reason why it's my favorite."

Lucy's expectations instantly increase as they open the door to the diner. The entrance bell has only rung twice when Natsu is recognized by the workers.

"Welcome back, Natsu," a waitress approaches them with a warm smile. "Who is this you have with you?"

"Hey, Mirajane. This is Lucy."

Lucy mindlessly blinks as she connect gazes with the waitress. She is blown away by how stunning she is.

"Hi, nice to meet you," Lucy eventually returns to her senses. She gives Mirajane a handshake, glancing at Natsu to already find him nodding.

"Go ahead." He waves her off. "Ask her all the questions you have. I'll get us a table."

"Thanks." Lucy can't hold back her excitement. "How long have you been working here, Mirajane?"

"Almost ten years now," she responds, reflecting on the number as she speaks. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

The number also catches Lucy by surprise. "How old are you?" she blurts out.

"I turn 28 at the end of this year," Mirajane answers. "I started working here as soon as I graduated high school. I needed to look after my siblings instead of going to college."

"How many siblings do you have?" Lucy asks.

"I have a younger brother and sister." Mirajane's eyes light up as she mentions them. "They've already finished school, but I decided to just stay and work here. Lisanna lives with me, anyway."

Lucy pauses, recognizing the name from a few days ago. She searches her memories until she remembers that it was Gray who said that name—she is the one who Natsu broke up with in college. At the time, Lucy didn't care too much. But now, she can't help but wonder about his past life.

"Do you want to do anything else?" Lucy questions before her mind wanders too far away.

Mirajane hums, tapping her cheek in thought. "That'd be nice. I haven't thought much about it, since I love Lisanna too much to move away."

"There's plenty of work in Magnolia," Lucy tells her. "Would you ever want to do modeling?"

"I've considered that, actually," Mirajane nods. "How did you know that? Did Natsu tell you?"

"No, I just thought it'd suit you," Lucy assures. "I'm sure an opportunity for you to model will come up if it's meant to be."

"I receive that!" Mirajane proclaims. "I should look into it. Thank you for taking the time to get to know me, Lucy. I need to go back to working now."

"Thank you for letting me ask you questions." Lucy sends her a smile. With a wave, she joins Natsu at the table.

"I'll never understand your interest in strangers," he scoffs as she slides into the booth.

"There's too much to _not _be interested in," she shoots back.

She directs her eyes to read the single menu that they share. Although the words for Natsu are upside down, he doesn't mind. He already knows exactly what he wants.

"The sandwiches here are better than the other diner we went to," he mentions, hesitating before he finishes. "All of them have meat in them, though."

"I want to try them," she responds, causing him to lift a brow.

"You don't have to—"

"I don't care if it messes with my digestion," she interrupts him. "I want to try them."

Natsu nods in understanding. Lucy looks up to send him an assuring smile, stopping for just a second. As the sunlight pours through the windows diner and illuminates his features, her heart squeezes. He's beautiful.

She clenches her fists under the table. If there's anything that she wants to do right now, it is to come clean with everything—from white lies to blatant lies. She wants to tell him that _this _is the real her. The girl who cares for others, wants to try everything, and isn't as self-centered as he has seen her to be.

But most of all, she wants to apologize for everything she has put him through.

However, she forces herself to swallow back her apologies. It would be best to tell him once the ten days are over. That way, there wouldn't be a reason to see each other again. With that in mind, Lucy decides it would be best to cherish these next three days.

Soon enough, Mirajane sets two plates on the table. Natsu and Lucy send her a grateful smile before digging in.

"Wow," Lucy gasps as soon as she takes her first bite. "This chicken sandwich is amazing."

"I'm glad you like it," he says in between bites. "I used to come here all the time in college."

"With Lisanna?" she asks before she can stop herself.

Natsu pauses mid-chew. He slowly begins to nod. "Yeah, it was our weekly thing to do together. Mirajane would give us discounts after a certain time."

Lucy takes another bite of her sandwich. It's easy to slip into jealousy, but she prevents herself from doing so. She wants to not only know Natsu's past, but also understand it—just like she would with anyone else.

"Did you always get the Italian?" she asks.

"I used to get something different every night," Natsu answers. "But once I met the Italian, I couldn't go back."

A laugh escapes Lucy's lips. "It's definitely one of the best."

There's a beat of silence between them as they eat their sandwiches.

"How do you always do that?" Natsu asks randomly.

"Do what?" Lucy tilts her head curiously.

"When you ask questions, you never judge the person's answers." Natsu's eyes swirl with admiration as he speaks. "You always make the person feel accepted by your follow up responses."

Heat crawl up her neck at the affirmation. "I-I'm just curious about everyone."

"It's not a bad thing," Natsu guarantees. "I really appreciate that of you."

Lucy can't help but avert her gaze back to her sandwich. She raises her eyes when he speaks up again.

"How about we check out the pier after this?"

"Let's do it. When was the last time you went?"

"At least three years ago. I'm sure a lot has changed."

Both of them are eager to head towards the pier, so they speed up their eating. Once they have finished their meal, Lucy makes sure to leave a generous tip on the table for Mirajane.

As they cruise to the pier, they can feel the breeze of the ocean. Even better, the pier is only occupied by a handful of middle-aged women out on early afternoon walks. This gives Natsu and Lucy plenty of space to drive around.

They eventually stop at a bench that faces the water. Setting the bike on park, the two sit and gaze at the water.

"I feel like I can stare at the water for hours," Natsu reveals, his eyes settled on the waves crashing against nearby rocks.

"It's so refreshing," Lucy breathes out. "I can hardly believe we're still in Magnolia."

They continue to view the soothing ocean, basking in a comfortable silence. They're both relieved neither of them brought their phones.

Knowing herself, Lucy would want to take plenty of pictures. Knowing himself, Natsu would ask a question about the ocean that would cause him to search up some facts.

Without their phones, they have no choice but to focus on the present moment in front of them. Neither of them can remember what it was like to simply be like this.

"Hey," Lucy speaks up after a while. "Why don't you teach me how to ride your motorcycle?"

Natsu laughs before he can stop himself. "You think you could?"

"It's like riding a bike, right?" she remarks, standing up from the bench and examining the bike.

"_That's _your first mistake." He places his hands on his hips and stares at her mindless pokes at parts of the bike. "It took me months until I got the rhythm of riding it."

"Because of your motion sickness?" Lucy cracks a grin.

Natsu gapes at her. "Who told you—Oh, wait. How do you even remember someone told you that at the station?"

She sends him an oblivious shrug. "Well, _I _don't have any problems with motion sickness. And I'm open to new experiences. Let's try it!"

"No one will ever understand," Natsu grumbles while patting the bike seat. "Let's just practice sitting on it. I'll go behind you."

Lucy swings her right leg over the bike and wraps her hands around the handlebars. Now that it's in front of her, she feels intimidated. But what makes her feel safe is Natsu's chest behind her.

"The clutch is on your left and the brake is on your right," he explains by pointing at each handlebar.

Lucy concentrates as best as she can as Natsu continues explaining the rest of the motorcycle. She didn't think it was going to be this detailed, but she decides to take this as a learning moment.

"Do you think you understand?" He double-checks. "I can re-explain everything if you need me to."

"No, I think I got it," she assures him. "The shifting gears part seems difficult, but we'll give it a try."

"I trust you, Luce," he responds.

The nickname causes Lucy to turn over her shoulder with a smile. Hearing it for the second time sounds just as sweet as the first. His encouragement is also enough to make her more at ease.

Natsu returns her smile with a nod. "Try it now."

Lucy takes a deep, steady breath to return her focus on the bike. She moves slowly, mentally reciting all of his directions. The bike rumbles beneath them as she turns on the engine.

She isn't sure if it's going to end up in a disaster, but she gently releases the clutch and lets the bike roll forward. She holds her breath as they begin to move.

"You're a natural!" Natsu encourages her, the wind skimming across their skin.

"I've always wanted to do this!" Lucy proclaims in delight.

She drives from one side of the pier to the other, but she suddenly realizes she doesn't know how to turn. Before she creates the disaster that she fears, she calmly brings the bike to a stop.

"Why did you stop?" he asks.

"I don't know how to turn." She tries to hide her disappointment. She is sure that Natsu won't want to continue teaching her.

"Well, we have all day for you to learn."

Natsu's words cause the edges of Lucy's lips to rise into a grin. She doesn't know if she has ever taken a day with someone to simply spend their time together. It's more freeing than she thought it could be.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, the two focus on getting comfortable enough on the bike to coast around. Surprisingly, Lucy is a natural. She learns fast enough to even bring them to a nearby ice cream stand.

"Ready for your next challenge?" Natsu offers as they finish their waffle cones.

Lucy raises a brow. "What?"

"Drive us back home."

Her eyes widen, but she catches the keys that he flings to her. Normally, she wouldn't feel ready to drive a vehicle that she just learned how to maneuver. However, the power of spontaneity is too strong to resist.

Just like that, she is driving them back. It's golden hour, which allows their skin to shimmer with the evening sky. It isn't long until Lucy rolls into the driveway and smoothly parks the bike.

"Looks like you'll be driving us back to central Magnolia tomorrow," Natsu teases her as he hops off.

"That's definitely not happening!" she exclaims.

The two can already feel their flushed skin as they enter the home. The comforting smell envelops Lucy again, but she has enough control to push back her tears. They find Grandeeny in the living room playing with Wendy.

"Did you two have a good day?" Grandeeny asks, noticing their permanent smiles.

"Natsu taught me how to ride his motorcycle," Lucy replies.

"And she's a natural," Natsu adds. "I was totally surprised!"

Lucy playfully jabs her elbow into his chest, both of them softly laughing.

"Well, why don't you freshen up before dinner?" Grandeeny suggests.

Natsu and Lucy don't need to be asked twice. Spending the last several hours at the pier, both of them received enough sun for them to notice their crisp skin.

"You can shower first," Lucy tells him, staying in the living room.

"Thanks," Natsu says while hiking up the stairs.

"You know," Grandeeny begins. She stands up and approaches Lucy to gently hug her. "Natsu has never looked so happy with someone before."

Lucy can feel warmth and love and kindness radiating from Grandeeny. In response, she remains still with her arms limp by her sides; it takes everything in her to return the hug. As they separate, she gives Grandeeny a tight smile.

"I'm going to go upstairs." Lucy's voice comes out like a whisper. "Excuse me."

Closing the bedroom door and kicking off her shoes, she sits on the edge of the bed. A multitude of feelings swell inside of her—regret for putting herself in this situation, sadness for what she will do to Natsu's family, and desire for all of this to be real.

She can sense these feelings are going to explode, so she quickly pulls out her journal to express all of her emotions. In the back of her mind, she knows she can use these notes for the article. But in reality, her notes sound mediocre at this point.

Lucy doesn't realize how frantically she is writing until Natsu comes in and tilts his head at her. She looks up at him, noticing his slightly damp hair. Before she admires him too much, she lets out a sigh and shuts her journal.

"What's up?" he asks while joining at the edge of the bed.

She presses her lips together, collecting her thoughts. She said yesterday it wasn't time yet, but she realizes now that she doesn't even know what that meant in the first place. Quite frankly, she still has no idea what time it is currently.

"I love everything about this home," she says softly. "The way it smells, your family, the way we get to eat dinner together… It's so sweet. And you know what? Grandeeny hugged me just now. And she _really _hugged me."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Natsu remarks. "Why aren't smiling about it? Try and smile."

Lucy shakes her head. "It won't be genuine if I smile."

He pokes her cheek several times. "Try it."

She turns to him, forcing a smile that clearly isn't convincing. The expression causes Natsu to tilt his head back, releasing a honeyed laugh.

"Yeah, that could have been better."

Lucy can't help but join his laughter. Once they become quiet, they gaze at one another for a few moments.

She notices that his cheeks are still pink from the sun. Natsu notices that she earned some new freckles. A familiar sense of electricity ignites between them. The bed creaks at Natsu's weight as he leans forward.

Time is at a standstill as their lips seem to melt into each other's. Lucy feels flutters in her stomach. Natsu's heart pounds in his throat.

It's a kiss that seems to make up for lost time. Perhaps from the time they met, or after the first night, or the third night, or all of the nights since then. Right now, this is a real kiss.

Before they can get too far, a round of knocks sound on the door. They jerk apart, which causes Natsu to almost fall off the bed. Lucy giggles as he stands up to open the door.

"Dinner is almost ready," Igneel says. He peeks his head in, noticing their tinted cheeks. "Were you two starting to—"

"No!" Natsu and Lucy shout at the same time. This doesn't help plead their case as Igneel's lips form a smirk.

"Well, make it quick," Igneel waves them off and goes back downstairs.

Natsu scoffs, looking over at his shoulder at Lucy. As they connect gazes, they can't stop themselves from smiling.

"I'll tell them you're showering," he assures her. "Come down when you're ready."

"Okay, thanks." She sends him a thankful nod.

With that, Natsu closes the door behind him. In response, Lucy rubs her cheeks for a moment. Before she bursts with joy, she quickly grabs her clothes and makes her way to the shower.

After showering and drying her hair, she goes downstairs to find the family still eating at the table outside.

"Strawberries," Natsu says simply as she sits down next to him.

"Thank you for the meal," Lucy tells Igneel.

"Anytime," Igneel responds with a wide grin.

Warmth settles inside of Lucy's chest as they eat together. As she listens to the kids talk about their school days, Igneel and Grandeeny about their days, and her day told by Natsu, she feels completely fulfilled by their love.

"I have a question," Lucy mentions after a while, directing her focus to Igneel and Grandeeny. "How did you two meet?"

"Oh, here we go," Natsu nearly groans. "I'm going to get some water."

"Igneel was known throughout our small town for being the biggest womanizer of all time," Grandeeny starts.

Lucy's eyes light up, knowing that the story will be just as special as she imagined. She hangs off Grandeeny's every word, occasionally hearing Igneel's side of the story. Throughout the time they tell the story, Lucy notices Natsu go inside several times to heat up a bowl of instant yakisoba and bring it back outside.

By the time Grandeeny and Igneel have finished their love story, three empty bowls are stacked on the table, the kids have been put to bed, and Natsu is almost snoring in his seat.

"Incredible," Lucy breathes out in awe.

"It's as amazing as a mundane life can get," Igneel shrugs.

"That's why it's amazing," Lucy insists. "The simplicity of your relationship is what makes it so special."

"Well, when you put it that way," Grandeeny replies with an appreciative smile. "It is pretty special, then."

Lucy nods, leaning over to run a hand through Natsu's hair. He opens his eyes at the feeling and locks eyes with her. "How long was I out?"

"Long enough to miss the whole story," she responds.

"He has heard it more times than we've told it, I'm sure," Igneel remarks while standing up from his seat. "Well, Lucy, it was great having this talk with you. We need to head to bed now, though."

"Thank you for taking the time to tell me," Lucy says with as much sincerity as she can offer. "It really means a lot."

"Let's do it again sometime," Grandeeny assures.

The four stand up from their chairs and return inside. They turn off the lights as they go, exchanging a few goodnights before entering their bedrooms.

Since it's late, Lucy is expecting Natsu to go straight to sleep after they brush their teeth. She is surprised to find him awake and sitting against the bedframe.

"What was life like for you when you were younger?" he asks.

Lucy pauses at the question before joining him on the bed. She sits crisscrossed, also leaning against the bedframe. "Why do you ask?"

"I feel like you should be asked some questions every once in a while."

Another wave of warmth scatters across her skin. It's rare for anyone to intentionally ask her questions since she's usually the one asking. Now that Natsu wants to return the gesture, she feels incredibly loved.

"I grew up with two incredible parents," she begins. "We used to do everything together. They were my rock until I was 15. They passed away on a plane crash for a business trip.

"After that, I moved in with my best friend. We used to read books all the time, but I felt like they started to get similar after a while. That's why I began to write, because I had too many ideas that weren't being written."

"Have you always had an interest in people?" Natsu asks.

"I'm not sure, actually," she replies with a hum. "It just came natural to me to ask other people questions. It's important to me that everyone understands each other. I don't like the idea of having a grudge against someone."

"Forgiveness," Natsu mentions.

Lucy smiles as she nods. "It's a difficult process, but it's possible."

"How have your past relationships been like?"

The question causes Lucy to pause again, although she isn't sure why. Not that she's ashamed, but she wants to commit to being honest with Natsu for the rest of their time together.

"I've never had a relationship longer than a year," Lucy reveals. "I was too focused on my studies in college, so I didn't make time for one. But even then, I wanted to feel like I belonged to someone's heart."

"Wow," he replies, almost dumbfounded.

"I've never shared a bed with a guy before," she admits. "I've never met my boyfriend's parents, either."

Lucy doesn't realize that she said _boyfriend_, but Natsu catches it as soon as it leaves her lips. Since she isn't aware of it, he decides to not bring it up.

"You're really brave for coming here," he tells her.

"We're determined to work things out, remember?" she reminds him. "If that means being uncomfortable, then I'm okay with that."

Natsu reaches over to hold her hand. Their hands are warm as they intertwine, settling in her lap.

"I want to kiss you," he mumbles.

"Then kiss me," she whispers back.

The bed creaks again as they both lean forward. It starts as a delicate, butterfly kiss. Heads titled, Natsu can feel her heated body underneath him. Lucy can feel his protective body hovering over her. It is slow and soft, comforting in ways that words could never be.

This isn't the moment and place for the passion that dwells within them. They both know that, so they eventually pull away, stealing a few chaste kisses before actually separating. They shyly peek at one another.

"I think that was the sweetest kiss I've ever had," Natsu blurts out.

A laugh escapes her tingling lips. It is almost as if they are inexperienced teenagers who are out late together. It's refreshing.

"We should probably go to sleep so we can say goodbye to Igneel and Grandeeny in the morning," Lucy says.

Natsu checks the time, finding that it's already past midnight. He knows that he could have endless conversations with her, but he keeps them to himself for now. With that, he reaches for the lamp.

Although it's dark, they can still make out their eyes in the moonlight. Just for a moment, they quietly breathe before slowly inching closer to each other in the middle of the bed. Lucy is surprised at how comfortably they cuddle.

"Even if you did share a bed with someone before," Natsu mentions. "Their body wouldn't overheat like mine."

"I'm not sure if that's a valid assumption," she replies, allowing her eyes to close. "Goodnight, Natsu."

"Goodnight, Luce."

With the ghost of his lips pressing against her forehead, they drift into dreams that somehow feel less real than their experiences from today.


	8. Chapter 8

**Wow, we're already at the second to last chapter?! What is going on?! **

**I feel like June just started yesterday... And now we're here, halfway done with 2019. That gives me goosebumps! **

**This month has been really special with all of you. I've grown so much since the last time I wrote and it's just cool to see where I am now. I'm happy that I'm still fulfilled by writing stories! Cause I know this is definitely something I've always dreamed of doing.**

**I actually don't have an epilogue written for this story. That's the worst thing about rom-coms! They never have epilogues! **

**Should this story have one? Hmmm. Maybe if one of you guys gives a suggestion, I'll think about it hehe.**

**Well, I can't get any more sappy without saying I love you guys! You've been so sweet in all the reviews and the constructive criticism has been very appreciated. :)**

**Hope you all enjoy the drama in this chapter! See you soon with the final chapter! **

* * *

It's an out-of-body experience for Lucy to say goodbye to Natsu's family the next morning. She makes sure that she doesn't say _see you later _or make any future plans with them. As Grandeeny gives her one last hug, Lucy tries her best to hang onto the feeling of her gentle warmth.

As they settle onto the bike, she finds the family waving from the front door.

"Thank you for everything!" she calls out.

Natsu pretends to grab all the kisses that Wendy blows to him. "See you guys soon!"

Lucy physically has to tear her eyes away from the house as they drive away. A pit in her stomach is beginning to develop again.

Today is their ninth day together.

Again, she is thankful for the deafening wind as they return to central Magnolia. She desperately wants everything about the experiment to just go into the trash; she wants to pretend like it wasn't happening in the first place.

And yet, there is still a sentiment inside of her that won't allow her to come clean.

Soon enough, the streets become narrower and Lucy starts to recognize street names again. The skyscrapers come into view—they've officially returned to the city and the reality of their lives.

"Want to get breakfast?" Natsu suggests as they stop at an intersection.

"I should probably get back," she admits. She senses his shoulders slump, but she ignores it.

"Well, I know of another good place we can go to next time," he responds.

Lucy swallows thickly, a knot forming in her throat. In reality, _next time _doesn't seem too promising after tomorrow. She feels as though the knot is going to leap out of her mouth as he brings her to her apartment complex.

"I'd say our quality time was definitely a success," Natsu says.

Once he parks, Lucy hops off the bike and hurriedly makes her way up the front steps.

"Hey, wait up," he tells her as he shifts the gears into park.

Lucy stops after the first set of stairs. She turns around to see him following after her. He stands at a few stairs below her, which makes their heights match.

"I have to go to the station for a bit." Natsu takes her hand, brushing his lips across her knuckles. "But you should come to my place tonight."

"Okay," she nods, not wanting to talk about tomorrow just yet.

"And tomorrow," he adds. "Fairy Tail is going to have live music and free food. We should go."

Lucy has to hold back her wince, but she also notices there's an unfamiliar tone in his voice. For the first time ever, it sounds like he is nervous.

"Okay, let's go together," she responds.

Natsu notices a shadow of sadness in her voice. He braces himself for what he has prepared to say next. He squeezes her hands in his.

"I want you to come with me as my girlfriend."

An unexpected smile forms onto Lucy's lips. "Are you calling me your girlfriend?"

Natsu can't help but smile back. "Yeah, I want you to be my girlfriend."

"Tomorrow will be the tenth day that we have been seeing each other, right?" she mentions.

There's a pang in both of their chests at her words. Neither of them can figure out why there are obvious swirls of emotions in each other's eyes.

"Maybe after tomorrow, we'll know," Lucy eventually states. "I have to run some errands today, but I'll try to stop by your place."

Before Natsu can get out any words, she gives him a kiss on the cheek. With that, she spins around and hastily enters the building.

Natsu watches her for a few moments, but doesn't hesitate to take out his phone. He texts Gray that he needs to talk to him as soon as possible.

Not allowing herself to look back, Lucy's palms immediately begin to sweat as she enters the elevator. She can't stop herself from impatiently tapping her foot.

While rushing into her apartment, she releases a loud sigh. She presses her back against the door and shuts her eyes. Perhaps if she does this long enough, the heaviness in her chest would lessen. When she opens her eyes again, she is met with a curious-eyed Levy standing right in front of her.

"Levy, don't scare me like that!" Lucy proclaims, placing a hand over her heart. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Enough to hear all your weird mumblings," Levy replies with now gleaming eyes. "How did these past two days go?"

"Terrible," Lucy responds with another sigh. She pushes herself off the door and slumps onto the couch. "It was terribly perfect."

"Tell me everything!" Levy exclaims, jumping onto the couch with her.

Lucy runs a hand through her hair. She bites her lip as she processes her thoughts—the more she thinks about it, the more she realizes going to Natsu's home really _was_ perfect. There isn't anything that went wrong these past two days.

"I'm going to try and repeal my article," Lucy blurts out.

Levy gapes at her, slowly shaking her head in disbelief. "Are you sure your boss will let you?"

"I'm going to try," Lucy says firmly. "I can't do this article anymore. It's going to drive me crazy."

Levy stares at her friend. She can't stop herself from asking the obvious. "Do you think you've fallen for Natsu?" she asks quietly.

Lucy freezes, not being able to look up at Levy. Instead, all she can muster up is a slow nod. Another lump forms in her throat. The weight of the assignment used to settle in her stomach, then her chest, and now it's in her throat.

"We're going to get through this, Lu," Levy assures her gently.

"H-How?" Lucy questions with a trembling voice. "If Natsu finds out about the article, he won't want to see me again."

Levy stays silent at her words. Whether they want to admit it or not, it's a guarantee that it won't settle well with Natsu. And as strange as it sounds to say, they don't know him well enough to predict how he will react.

"My shift starts soon," Levy eventually speaks again. She stands up from the couch. "What are you going to do now?"

"Natsu wants me to go to his apartment later," Lucy responds, running her hand through her hair again. "Should I go?"

"Why wouldn't you?" Levy raises a brow. "Spend the time you have left together."

Now that Lucy can see the ticking clock of their relationship, she realizes how important it is to cherish these final hours with him. She wants to make sure this final night together is worth it.

Once Levy leaves for work, Lucy absentmindedly sits on the couch for several moments. To kill some time, she opens her laptop and stares at her nine days' worth of notes. She skims through them, hardly believing that she acted this way.

"Why did he stick with me for so long?" Lucy mumbles to herself.

It isn't until she reads her last few notes when she notices Igneel's words. She scrolls up to Laxus and what he said. Then, she ends with Makarov revealing that Natsu was invested into the relationship by bringing her to Fairy Tail.

Suddenly, it clicks—the reason why Natsu is so patient with her is that he is committed to her. After suppressing the idea for so long, it slaps Lucy in the face.

Now that her feelings have been added into the mix, she can't figure out who is going to get hurt the most after all of this.

But she knows the power of a draft. With newfound determination, Lucy types out several scenarios of how tomorrow can go. She isn't expecting to have at least twenty different scenarios, but it seems like there's a pattern after each one she writes.

"Maybe this will work," Lucy mumbles to herself.

She jolts in her spot when she receives a text from Natsu, much earlier than she would have liked to. A sense of panic slowly builds up inside of her every minute. Although she wants to run over to his apartment, she wants to disappear at the same time.

"I'll bring dinner for us," she texts him back.

With her plans for tomorrow imprinted in her mind, she gets ready to leave. She stops at a nearby convenience store, purchasing a few instant yakisoba bowls that Natsu snacked on last night. Because she was listening so intently to Grandeeny and Igneel, she didn't get the chance to try them. She can definitely say it smelled delicious and _hot._ Just in case, she buys the non-spicy yakisoba for herself.

Lucy knocks on Natsu's door as she arrives. Her eyes widen when Gray opens the door instead.

"Hi," he says stiffly, stepping out of the way so she can come inside.

"Hey, Gray," Lucy replies with a smile.

For some reason, she doesn't feel as intimidated by him this time. By the expression on his face, he appears to be processing something else. However, what concerns Lucy most is Natsu's expression.

"Is everything okay?" she asks curiously.

"We were just talking about some stuff." He pauses, noticing how vague his words sound. "Gray took care of the cat while I was gone, so he was telling me about it."

Although he sends her a gentle smile, there's a glimpse of a frown on his lips.

"I'm going to head out now," Gray states while putting on his shoes.

"You can stay," Lucy assures him. "I brought over some instant yakisoba."

"The same yakisoba I ate last night?" Natsu perks up. As Lucy takes out a bowl from the plastic bag, he cracks a grin.

"Sorry, Ice Princess, you can't stay," Natsu jumps up from the couch. "Those are just for me and her."

"Ice Princess?" Lucy laughs out while watching him shove Gray out of the apartment. Once Gray is outside enough to be pushed out by closing the door, Natsu immediately reaches for one of the bowls.

"These are my favorite, Luce. Thanks for buying them." He smoothly peels the sealed top and fills the bowl with water.

"Do you like them that much?" she asks with amusement as he eagerly pushes the microwave buttons.

"Imagine 16 year old me eating these every time I came back from school," he responds. "Now imagine that in college, too."

"College?" she repeats in disbelief. "What makes them so special?"

"They're probably the spiciest noodles you can buy for a reasonable price," he explains simply. "Igneel is the only other person I know that can finish a bowl."

Lucy purses her lips skeptically. She can handle spicy food every once in a while, so she wonders if the yakisoba won't be as aggressive as the label suggests. She takes a step closer to Natsu when he takes the bowl out of the microwave.

"Do you think you can handle it?" he smirks.

"Let me try," she replies. Grabbing her pair of chopsticks, she picks up a few strands of noodles.

Her breath is immediately caught in her throat the second they land on her tongue. She coughs loudly, patting her chest at the sudden burn.

"I've never seen someone react like that!" Natsu howls out, placing a hand on the counter to hold himself up. "That was hilarious!"

"These are unnecessarily hot!" Lucy proclaims as she quickly swallows them. Her tongue is numb as she hastily pours a cup of milk. Even though they were only a few noodles, she feels as though she can breathe out fire from all the heat.

"They're not meant for the average," he remarks. Without a second thought, he slurps on an endless stream of noodles.

"Never again," she shakes her head. "I'm going to stick with teriyaki."

It isn't long until the couple are sitting at the dining table, enjoying their savory bowls. Natsu is in the midst of his second bowl when their cat joins them at the table.

"Have you given him a name yet?" Lucy asks.

"I haven't," he realizes aloud. "I've never had a pet before. What are some common names?"

"People like to name their pets after emotions," she replies with a shrug

"How about Sleepy?" he suggests. "He likes to sleep a lot."

"He doesn't look like a Sleepy!" she protests, causing Natsu to frown. "Think deeper."

Natsu gives out a thoughtful hum. His eyes light up when he has a suggestion. "How does Happy sound?"

"That sounds perfect," Lucy grins. "He makes you happy, doesn't he?"

"I underestimated the power of a cat," he admits. "When I go to sleep, he always likes to lie next to me."

"Aw," she giggles while reaching over to pet Happy behind the ears.

Tummies full, they comfortably sit back on the couch and flip through some TV channels. Although they have done this plenty of times, Lucy can't help but feel bittersweet about it. Her chest aches knowing that this will be the last time they spend time together like this.

She glances at him, not being able to hold back her laugh. He lifts a curious brow.

"The yakisoba stained your lips," she points out. "They're bright red."

"That's when you know the noodles worked." He smirks at her as he edges forward. "Maybe it'll be like lipstick if I kiss you."

"No way!" she exclaims.

She puts her hands out in front of her to prevent him from getting closer, but Natsu hovers over her enough to grasp her arms and hold them down. He leans down and goes for her neck, leaving a light trail of kisses.

Lucy doesn't bother to resist—even if his lips leave a mark, they're too addicting to fight back. She can feel the quick pulse in her neck match the pace of his kisses. If her arms weren't pinned down, she would keep him there forever.

His hold becomes looser as he travels up her neck and to her lips. She slides out of his grip to bring her hands into his hair and gently twirl her fingers through his curls.

There is still a sense of heat on his lips; it's just enough for her to taste it all. Despite this, their kisses feel fresher than ever. It's as though their lips have familiarized enough to where they're reminded of how sweet it is when together.

As their bodies feel to be sinking further into the couch, neither of them take it a step further. Lucy can't bring herself to start a moment that will cause more long-term damage than temporary satisfaction.

Natsu, on the other hand, hums against her lips before slowly pulling away. She leans back to connect eyes with him. In that moment, as they gaze at each other with hooded eyelids, she is ready to tell him everything.

His breaths say that he wouldn't get angry, his eyes say that he would understand, his lips say that everything will be okay.

"I have to ask you something."

"What is it?" Lucy asks carefully.

They begin to shift on the couch, picking themselves up and sitting to face each other. As she takes in Natsu's serious expression, she wonders if this was what Gray and him were talking about earlier before she interrupted. It couldn't just be about Gray checking up on Happy, it must have been deeper than that.

"Would you ever move away from Magnolia?" Natsu asks abruptly.

Lucy pauses. "I might if I had a reason to."

"What if I was your reason?"

She lets out a laugh to mask her surprise. "Why would you be leaving Magnolia?"

His expression doesn't change. "I'm serious. What if we moved away from Magnolia together?"

The levelness of his voice is slightly intimidating, but she tries to ignore it. "Well, right now I don't have a reason to," she answers hesitantly. "But I'll think about it if the time comes."

"Okay, think about it," he responds with a nod. "Just in case."

"Okay." She gives him a subtle smile, hoping that it hides the fact that stress is currently building up inside of her.

"I just really needed to get that off my chest," he admits with a heavy sigh. "Thanks, Luce."

"Y-You're welcome," she slightly stutters. "Any time."

Now if only she could stay those words to herself. She doesn't want Natsu to get his hopes up for her and their future together. She knows that he wouldn't if she just came clean already, but she can't form the words in her mouth.

"It doesn't look like the yakisoba stained your lips," he remarks.

"Maybe we should try again," she suggests.

They don't hesitate to lean forward and kiss again. In each other's arms like this, neither of them would want to be anywhere else.

Meanwhile, Lucy ignores the fact that it's already past midnight and her final hours with Natsu are dwindling by the second. This is the only temporary satisfaction she is willing to accept.

* * *

As soon as Lucy wakes up the next morning, her body is on autopilot mode. She moves automatically, as though she has rehearsed every step she is going to make today.

The tenth day is finally here.

Whatever happens today, she is ready for it. But knowing that tonight has the potential of becoming a disaster, Lucy can hardly focus on her surroundings. She has to keep a continuous thought stream of self-encouragements or she is going fall apart.

However, the moment she enters her work building, she remembers her mission. Even though she doesn't have a scheduled appointment, she walks straight into Erza's office with a chin held high.

"Good morning, Lucy. How is everything?" Erza asks.

"I can't do this article anymore," Lucy states firmly.

Erza looks up from her desk, holding a poker face. "What did you say?"

There's a brief moment of silence as Lucy tries to recollect her thoughts.

"The guy I met, I've gotten to know him _really _well, and—"

"Lucy," Erza interrupts her sternly. "You are writing the article and that's final. Your story is already going to be on the cover of the magazine."

Lucy can't even imagine how happy those words would have made her if she heard them a week ago. Now, they mean nothing to her.

"Erza, I can't—"

"But you will. Because you're a professional journalist, remember?"

Lucy swallows in defeat. All of the scenarios she practiced turned into a two minute, one-sided conversation.

"Yes… I guess I am a professional."

"I expect the final draft tomorrow morning," Erza instructs her.

Due to an incoming office call, Lucy has no choice but to leave. Although she doesn't need to be at work today, she finds herself sinking into her desk chair.

"You don't look so hot," Cana says at the neighboring desk, examining her for a moment. "Wait, what happened to you?"

"A disaster," Lucy mutters. She rubs her eyes, secretly wishing that when she opened them everything would be okay. "I'm going to come clean to Natsu about the article tonight."

"What?" Cana blurts out incredulously. "Why would you do that?"

"This isn't fair for him," Lucy sighs out. "He deserves to know what I did before the article gets published."

"There's a chance he may not even read the article," Cana tries to convince her. "Lucy, I think you're making a mistake."

Cana's words are enough for Lucy to feel sick. Right now, Cana is no different from Erza. Not being able to take it anymore, she stands up from her seat.

"I'll let you know how it goes," Lucy tells her shortly before walking away.

She has only taken a step outside when she calls Levy. Impatience bubbles up inside of her after she is sent to voicemail. There is no way that she can be by herself right now, so she doesn't hesitate to head towards the bakery.

"Levy!" Lucy nearly shouts as she enters the bakery.

Normally, Levy is standing at the front counter with a friendly smile. Today, however, there is no one at the counter.

"Levy?" Lucy asks, softer this time. "Is anyone here?"

She can't fight her curiosity, allowing it to guide her footsteps. She slowly pushes the door to the back of the bakery while peeking her head in.

Lucy gasps as she catches Levy pressed against a wall, lips smashing against Gajeel's. Lucy's noise causes them to promptly jerk away from each other and look at her with wild eyes.

"L-Lu!" Levy squeaks, wiping a hand over her mouth. "What are you doing here?"

"Only employees are allowed in the back," Gajeel says roughly. Although his voice is harsh, he appears just as flustered as Levy.

"There was no one here when I came," Lucy counters.

"I was showing her the supplies we're running out of," Gajeel explains simply.

"Right," Lucy replies with an exaggerated nod. "Well, I guess you showed her plenty."

"Lucy!" Levy proclaims in disbelief. "Just go to the front. I'll be out in a second."

Lucy decides to follow her friend's instruction, returning to the front of the bakery. She stands at the counter and waits for Levy to return. When she does, her darkened cheeks and swollen lips are obvious.

"Is it bad?" Levy whispers, viewing her reflection from the windows and fixing her hair.

"Your hair or making out with your boss while you're working?" Lucy clarifies.

"Hey!" Levy gapes at her. "What's up with you? You're normally not that blunt."

Lucy sighs while fixing her hair as well. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'm not feeling too good right now."

"Have you decided what you're going to tell Natsu?" Levy asks.

"I'm going to tell him everything," Lucy reveals with an uneven voice.

Levy gives her friend a sympathetic smile. "It's going to be hard, but you can do it. I support you, alright?"

There's a subtle sense of relief inside Lucy, which is enough for now. "Thanks. I tried talking to Erza about the article, but she's forcing me to publish it."

"She said you would be recognized for it, right?" Levy questions.

"The article is going to be on the front cover," Lucy replies, although her voice clearly shows it doesn't have the same value anymore.

"I'll be here for you," Levy assures her gently.

"Me too." Gajeel joins Levy at the counter. "Who do I need to beat up for you, Lucy?"

Lucy's phone buzzes with a text from Natsu. She opens it to a picture of the suit he'll be wearing tonight. With another heavy sigh, she puts her phone back into her pocket.

"It's me, Gajeel," Lucy mutters while turning to leave the bakery. "You're going to have to beat me up."

Hearing Levy speak out multiple encouragements for tonight, Lucy goes back to her apartment to get dressed for tonight. She isn't sure how to prepare for a disaster that is predicted to be an entire catastrophe, but the only way to find out is by just going for it.

After getting dressed, there is nothing Lucy has dread more than going to Natsu's apartment. Her heart skips a beat each time she tries to think of the apologies she wants to tell him. To avoid a heart attack, she decides she is going to wing it.

At the same time, everything hurts.

From the shoes she puts on, because of how her heart will be after all of this, and arriving to Natsu's apartment building—everything just hurts.

Lucy grips onto the illegally copied key to his apartment as she stands in front of the door. The key is the last item she has of him. Once she gives it back, she truly has no reason to see him again.

Lucy takes several deep breaths to brace herself. There's no way she will ever feel ready, so she forces herself to insert the key and unlock the door. She quietly opens it, hearing Gray's voice inside.

"But you did it! I'm so proud of you for finishing the bet. I've already shared your name with some of my coworkers."

Lucy's body is frozen at his words. Instantly, everything starts connecting in her mind. Natsu wasn't committed to the relationship—he was committed to a _bet. _

Outraged is an understatement. Lucy is furious. She clenches her jaw, debating whether it'd be a smart decision to barge inside and demand for answers. But the aching in her chest is too much to ignore. Dropping the key on the floor, she slams the door.

Natsu and Gray jump at the sudden noise. They look at one another as they realize what just happened.

"Natsu, I'm so sorry—"

Natsu doesn't bother to let Gray finish as he immediately darts out of his apartment. He finds Lucy storming away and pressing the button to the elevator.

"Lucy, hold on," he tells her.

She whips around, not missing a beat. "You used me so you could get your name spread?"

"You drove me _insane _for your magazine?" Natsu shoots back.

They stand there for a few moments, both fuming. As they try to recollect their thoughts, they recognize how much they've equally blighted each other.

"Gray told you," Lucy says plainly.

"Yeah, and how I was just some ten-day experiment."

"And I'm just some girl you picked at random?"

"That doesn't even compare," Natsu argues sharply. "I was someone you tested your theories on. Was that why you agreed to meet my grandparents? Was this all just some fantasy story for you?"

Lucy blankly stares at him, knowing that he is aware of how much pain those words could inflict. And how they did.

"Well," she begins, pressing the elevator button again. "Some kind of friend you have who knew both of our intentions."

"What are you talking about?" he demands.

"Gray knew everything since the second day. Ask him about it, if it even matters to you."

The elevator slides open. Lucy steps inside and presses her back against the wall. As they connect eyes, her heart splits into two uneven pieces. She could have never prepared to see the hurt expression on his face.

"Congrats," Natsu begins while the elevator closes. "Now you know how to lose a guy in ten days."

Natsu stares at the closed doors, tearing his eyes away before he sees his reflection. He wipes his damp hands across his pants as he returns to his apartment. There, he finds Gray pacing across the living room. Gray turns to him with frantic eyes.

"You knew," Natsu accuses him before he can say anything. "How long did you know Lucy was using me?"

"I was going to tell you—"

"Did you just want to see me suffer? Did you enjoy seeing me get taken advantage of?"

"That wasn't my intention, let me—"

"Just go." Natsu tells him firmly while rubbing a hand at the back of his neck. "I can't talk to you right now. Give me space."

Natsu doesn't watch Gray leave the apartment. Instead, he focuses on holding Happy in his lap as they fall onto the couch.

Natsu's thoughts are an endless carousel as he connects the pieces to why Lucy was so exhausting throughout their time together. Although that doesn't explain to him her abrupt shift at his grandparents' house, he can't believe that both of them sabotaged each other enough to cause all of this pain towards each other.

"Were you a part of the plan, too?" Natsu mumbles.

Happy meows in response, which brings him to give out a heavy sigh. Everything happened so fast, his body is just now catching up.

And everything just hurts.


	9. Chapter 9

"This wasn't what I was expecting, Lucy."

Lucy watches her boss flip through the printed article. Erza pauses to read a few pages before going on to the next. Although she wears a poker face, Lucy has never seen Erza's eyes gleam like this before.

With uncomfortable bags resting beneath her eyes, Lucy uncontrollably bobs her knee while she waits in her seat. Not because she's nervous, but she is certain that she will fall asleep if she doesn't find a way to keep herself moving.

Instead of processing her breakup with Natsu last night, she spent all night polishing her notes into a cohesive article. She feels as though she poured her heart and soul into this article. At this point, she doesn't care what Erza thinks about it anymore.

One of Lucy's eyelids is in the midst of closing when Erza looks up from the manuscript. Lucy perks up in her seat, noticing Erza's sparkling grin.

"It's even better than I thought. Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Lucy replies with a tight smile.

Since Erza isn't one for hugs, Lucy awkwardly leans over the desk to give her a high-five. Erza doesn't notice the atmosphere as she marvels at her story.

"I think you're ready to be a real journalist," Erza tells her proudly. "Anything that you want to write about—it's all yours!"

Lucy raises her brows. "Everything? Even politics?"

"Mmmm, not quite." Erza waves her finger in the air to dismiss her. "You just have more flexibility on shoes, makeup, therapy, and trends. Use your imagination for once."

Lucy can't hold back her disbelief, slowly shaking her head. "Thank you for this opportunity, but I'm turning this down."

Erza gazes at her with bewilderment. "What?"

"I'm finished, Erza. I'm done."

"You're going to regret—"

Not allowing her to finish, Lucy pushes herself up from her seat. She doesn't bother to look back as she exits Erza's office. She walks through the office, passing by Cana's desk to find her with curious eyes.

"How did it go?" Cana asks.

"I quit," Lucy answers simply.

"You _what_—"

"Let's go out for drinks sometime," she interrupts her. "See you."

"I-I'll call you," Cana responds, obviously flustered. She isn't able to say anything else as she watches Lucy leave the office.

The moment Lucy steps out of the building, she can physically feel the shackles on her wrists breaking free. She has never sacrificed so much for a job, which caused her to feel trapped within her articles. Now, she is free to pursue her lifetime dreams.

Her surroundings are a fog as she returns to her apartment. Although there is a part of her that feels liberated, she still has a pressuring sense of the rest of her emotions. Even if she has this newfound freedom, her heart is more broken than ever.

Since Levy decided to spend last night with Gajeel, Lucy isn't expecting for her to be home. However, she finds Levy sitting on the couch and waiting for her expectantly. They lock eyes for just a moment. Levy can already tell none of this will be good.

"Tell me everything that happened," Levy tells her.

Everything spews out of Lucy all at once. She can hardly see Levy through her tears as she joins her on the couch.

"It was a bet. Natsu was only with me because of a stupid bet."

Levy's eyes widen, but she lets Lucy continue.

"And I quit," Lucy manages to say through her sobs. "I don't work for Erza anymore."

"It's okay. Everything is going to work out," Levy says gently, allowing Lucy to cry in her arms. "You're worth more than any bet."

"I don't even care about losing my job," Lucy says in between hiccups. "What I had with Natsu felt so real. Do you even think any of his feelings were real?"

"I think that's for you to discern," Levy admits. "There had to have been something real between you two, though."

"I really liked him," Lucy cries out.

She takes such deep inhales that her back begins to hurt at how strong her sobs are. Never in her life has she wept like this—all for a guy she has known for ten days.

But she doesn't care. Even if she shouldn't be the one crying, or all of it is pathetic, or Natsu doesn't deserve her tears, she simply doesn't care. Right now, all she cares about is expressing the sadness in her heart.

Levy rubs Lucy's arms to comfort her as she continues to hiccup. After a while, Lucy is honestly surprised that she had all of these tears pent up inside of her.

"You're doing the right thing," Levy assures her. "How about I make dumplings tonight?"

"Please," Lucy whimpers.

Levy nods, spending a few extra moments with her best friend. Living and growing up together since they were 15, Levy thought she had seen every part of Lucy. But this is entirely new—she has never seen her best friend this hurt.

Watching her become like this, Levy recommits to be the best friend that won't let her ever become this way again.

"I'm here for you, Lu," she whispers to her.

Lucy stays silent, closing her eyes and resting against the couch. The lack of sleep catches up to her suddenly, crashing over her all at once. She doesn't resist to give into a much-needed nap.

Lucy isn't sure how much she has slept for when she feels Levy lightly shaking her awake. It's dark outside, meaning it has been at least three hours. Lucy wipes away the dried tears on her face and looks at Levy.

"The dumplings are ready. You don't have to eat them now if you don't want to, though."

"I'll eat them now," Lucy replies, her voice hoarse. She pushes herself up from the couch and follows Levy into the kitchen.

Quietly, they eat their dumplings. As always, these are the best dumplings Lucy has ever eaten, but she can't bring herself to express that. There is only one thing on her mind right now.

"I'm going to bed," Lucy says after their meal. "I'll see you in the morning."

She doesn't even try to shower or brush her teeth—all she wants to do is sleep. She curls up in her bed, allowing the blankets to envelop her. When she is half asleep, it reminds her of Grandeeny's comforting warmth.

Again, Lucy loses track of time as she sleeps. One moment it's completely dark; the next moment sunrays are illuminating her room. She doesn't wake up naturally, however. Her sleep is interrupted by a tsunami of notifications.

She rubs her eyes to clear her vision. All of the notifications are comments on her newly published article. She taps on one of them, directed to the online version of the weekly magazine. There are already a handful of comments, all praising her for the experiment.

She feels a sense of nauseating regret, so she hastily turns off her phone and forces herself out of bed. After an imperative shower, she feels a bit more like herself again. It is as though she is finally washing off the past ten days.

With her hair wrapped up in a towel, Lucy discovers Levy at the kitchen counter. She sips on a cup of coffee and reads her phone.

"Are you reading it?" Lucy asks hesitantly.

Levy nods. "I can't believe you wrote this."

"I know," Lucy sighs out. "It's—"

"Beautiful," Levy cuts her off. "Even if it was a selfish experiment, I can feel all of your pain in this. If Natsu reads this, I'm sure he's going to feel it, too."

Lucy would have never thought that her article could be considered _beautiful. _She is convinced that the article is borderline public humiliation.

"Even if Natsu understands, I don't know if either of us want to see each other again," Lucy responds simply. "And I'm done writing that type of stuff. I'm sick of writing articles that are meant to destroy someone."

"What do you want to do then?" Levy raises a brow.

"I want to reinvent myself," Lucy states. "I'm determined to create a new company for myself."

Levy takes another sip of her coffee. Lucy is taken aback to notice a grin on her face.

"You definitely have your ambition from your parents." Levy's eyes sparkle with admiration for her friend. "I know you're going to achieve that dream, Lu. I believe in you."

Lucy truly doesn't know where it comes from or how it's even possible, but tears form at the back of her eyes. "Thanks for your support," she says softly.

"So, what's the next step now?" Levy questions.

"No more pity parties." Lucy begins, standing up to brew her own cup of coffee. "I had my crying moment, but now I don't have time to wallow in sadness. I need to start researching."

Levy nods in agreement. "Sounds like a plan. I need to start heading to the bakery, but I'll come back for lunch. Take your time today, alright?"

"Okay," Lucy says as she waves goodbye. With that, she tosses her towel into her room, grabs her mug, and takes out her laptop.

The screen lights up to the document of her article. She stares at it for a few moments.

It's easy to relapse into sadness when she is reminded of everything, but she doesn't allow herself to. She doesn't have time to sort out her feelings. If she wants to reinvent herself, she needs to tackle this project immediately. Without another thought, she deletes the file from her laptop.

Now is the time to seek a new part of herself. It's time for a redemption season.

Although the wound from her relationship with Natsu is just two days fresh, she can sense a new page turning over—with or without him.

* * *

Natsu can't remember the last time he felt a sense of emptiness like this. No matter how much food, sleep, or movies he watches, there is still a sensation of longing for more. He can't put his finger on what made his relationship with Lucy so satisfying, but whatever it was, he misses it.

Natsu has never been one for holding a grudge against someone, so he only waits less than twelve hours to knock on Gray's door the next morning.

Gray doesn't hold back his bewilderment when he opens the door. Natsu doesn't pay too much attention to it as he forces his way in, immediately going for the pantry.

"Are you upset?" Gray asks cautiously.

"Yes and no," Natsu responds, shoving some crackers into his mouth. "I came here to hear your side of the story."

Gray nods while swallowing thickly. He sits at the kitchen counter and invites Natsu to sit down as well.

"Where do you want me to start?"

"From the beginning."

Gray pauses, twisting his necklace around his neck. "Well, I almost killed Lucy with my bike."

Natsu's eyes widen. "You almost _killed _her?"

"I wasn't looking to see if anyone was crossing!" he explains quickly. "The next time I saw her was when she was leaving your apartment after the second night you spent together. That was when I overheard her experiment.

"I wasn't sure if I should have told you because of our bet. I didn't want to see you get hurt, but I didn't think you'd want to end it. You've always been a man of your word."

Gray's piercing eyes don't break eye contact with Natsu. That way, both of them know that he is completely serious. Natsu returns the eye contact, being able to feel the sincerity through Gray's words.

"I'm genuinely sorry that I let it keep going. I should have looked out for you more. I wasn't being a good friend to you."

"I appreciate that," Natsu responds honestly. "And you're right. If I had known the experiment was going on, I still would have gone through with the bet. The way Lucy started to act would have made a lot more sense, too."

"She really put you through some hell," Gray states. "I don't know how she could be so—"

"I don't want to talk about her," Natsu interrupts him. "I can't decipher what was real with her and what wasn't. I just want to forget about everything. You're forgiven, alright?"

"Thanks, Natsu," Gray sends him a grateful smile. "The bet paid off, didn't it?"

"In some ways," Natsu replies with a shrug. "It probably wasn't the best move to fall for the girl after ten days, though."

Natsu doesn't realize his words until after he says them. The two stay silent for at least a minute with Gray blinking incredulously.

"You fell for Lucy?"

"Yeah," Natsu breathes out. "I did."

"Even after everything she did to you?" Gray asks in disbelief.

"I-I can't talk about it yet," Natsu stumbles over his words. He tries to change the subject. "But anyway, you're forgiven."

Gray scratches the back of his head. "You know what? The old you would have never come and talked to me so calmly. What gave you more compassion?"

It isn't until then when it dawns on him. Natsu takes a deep breath, knowing exactly who gave him compassion. That is what he misses—the unpredictable, profound lessons he learned from Lucy. Even if it was only ten days, he grew more than he expected.

But instead of telling Gray the truth, he responds with his second thought.

"Redemption," Natsu reveals. "I wanted to give you a chance at redemption."

Gray leans over to shake Natsu's shoulder. "Thanks again."

The two share a heartwarming moment for the first time in weeks. Even though they've known each other since college, Gray has officially seen two of Natsu's messiest break ups ever. It's in that instant when Gray recommits to be the best friend that won't let Natsu ever become this way again.

The moment is interrupted when Gray's phone lights up with a call from an unknown number.

"Hello?" he answers.

Natsu strains his ears to listen to the voice on the other end. Since it comes out like a distant whisper, he listens to Gray occasionally hum. Natsu notices his dazed eyes when he ends the call.

"Who was that?"

"That was my coworker," Gray states. "There's a crew member position available for you."

"Already?" Natsu raises his brows. "Where?"

"Acalypha."

Natsu pauses for a second, trying to sift through his memories. He has heard of the town a few times, but has no idea where it is on a map.

"It's a three hour plane ride," Gray informs. "I've been there several times on business trips. It's smaller than Magnolia, but it's a gorgeous city."

Natsu is at a loss for words. All he can do is continue listening.

"They're giving you a week to commit," Gray tells him. "If you say yes, then they expect you to be there."

"In a week?" Natsu repeats. A tingling sensation scatters across his body as he watches Gray nod. "Okay, I'll think about it."

"Alright," Gray responds.

By the look in Natsu's eyes, Gray can see that he is thoroughly considering the opportunity. He is about to give the subject a rest, but Natsu talks before he does.

"I'm in."

Gray gapes at him. "You already decided?"

"I've been here too long. I don't have a reason to be here anymore."

Gray notices that Natsu was going to add _without Lucy _at the end of his sentence. That is when he recognizes how much she impacted Natsu these past ten days.

"Okay," Gray says finally. "I can help you pack your stuff when I'm off work. When do you want to leave?"

"As soon as possible," Natsu answers while standing up from his seat. "I need to go to the station to tell them I'm leaving."

Before Gray has the chance to say anything else, Natsu leaves the apartment. He is already set on his mission, stopping by his apartment to get his keys and making his way to the station.

Suddenly, everything comes all at once for Natsu. One second he is giving all of his colleagues goodbye hugs, the next second he is talking on the phone with the landlord for an animal friendly apartment in Acalypha, and the following second he is packing all of his belongings.

Lucy is simply a distant memory as he prepares for the next step in his life. He can physically feel a new page turning over; however, there's still that feeling of emptiness inside of him. In the back of his mind he understands what he needs to do, but he can't bring himself to act. If he suppresses it enough, he's sure he'll forget it someday.

Soon enough, three days have passed since their breakup. Natsu is actually impressed with himself that he cleaned out his entire apartment. Being so busy has allowed him to be distracted enough to slowly forget about Lucy.

The worst times are at night once he's about to fall asleep. When he closes his eyes, he can still see the brightness of her smile. When he tosses in his bed, he can still smell the sweetness of her hair.

But if everything goes to plan, he'll be leaving Magnolia in two days. After that, there won't be any traces left of her.

Because it's not worth buying ingredients to cook with, Gray's courtesy lunch is now courtesy dinner. Each night, he visits Natsu with a meal that they share while sitting on the floor. Tonight, Gray brings over a box of pepperoni pizza.

"You're the best," Natsu groans out as he takes a slice. "This is great."

"How much else do you have to pack?" Gray asks in between bites.

"I'm pretty much done," Natsu answers, pointing at his bed. "Laxus needs a new bed, so he's coming the morning I leave to pick it up."

"It's so empty," Gray points out. "I think I can hear an echo in here."

"Isn't it cool?!" Natsu shouts, his voice travelling across the room and bouncing against the walls.

"It looks like you're really leaving this place," Gray admits.

"Are you saying you're going to miss me?" Natsu smirks at him.

"Don't worry, Juvia and I will be visiting you more than you'd like," Gray assures with his own smirk. "But yeah, it's going to be weird not having you live above me anymore."

"I'm excited," Natsu replies with bright eyes. "It's finally happening."

"You're going to be living your dream," Gray reminds him.

Natsu eagerly nods. "It has been a long time coming."

It isn't until now when Natsu begins feeling the reality of his move. He is truly starting all over in Acalypha, living in an unfamiliar place with more strangers than ever. Living in Magnolia his entire life, he can't believe the time has finally come to leave.

"I have something to show you," Gray mentions, bringing Natsu out of his thoughts. "You don't have to read it, but I wanted you to see it."

Natsu's heart pounds in his throat as he watches Gray take out his phone and extend it out to him. After he reads the headline cover, he doesn't feel like eating anymore.

"I don't want to read it," he declines. "I can't read it. Why are you showing me that?"

"I didn't agree with it when I read it, but the last part is worth reading," Gray says.

Natsu isn't sure how much he can agree with him. Even though it has been three days, he doesn't think his heart is ready just yet.

Nonetheless, Natsu's hands move on their own as he reaches for the phone and reads Lucy's article. His eyes almost race across the screen as he takes in each of her words. He freezes once he reaches the end of the article.

_So, I lost the guy. What went wrong, you ask? When I started writing this week's article, I didn't realize that I was making the biggest mistake of all. I lost the guy I had fallen for. _

"Natsu, what are you doing?" Gray asks at his sudden movements.

"I'll be right back," he answers, hastily taking his keys while leaving the apartment.

Natsu has never ran faster than he is right now. He has wanted to do this all along, but he couldn't muster up enough courage to act.

Everything that moves past Natsu is a blur as he jumps down multiple stairs to the parking garage. He doesn't hesitate to rev the engine on his bike and roll out onto the street.

Yes, he may look out of his mind. Yes, he may be making a mistake. And yes, he has fallen for Lucy.

That's why he needs to see her. Even if he'll regret this, it doesn't matter—Natsu desperately wants to show her how all of this can be redeemed.

Since he has only been to her apartment complex a couple of times, he can't remember where it is exactly. He parks his bike where he believes is the general area and begins his search.

"Which one is it?" Natsu gasps out as he tries to catch up with his breaths. Sweat trickles down his forehead. Suddenly, all of the buildings look exactly the same.

It isn't until he recognizes the set of stairs leading to the building when he heads inside. He jogs up the front steps, wiping his forehead with his arm. He pauses in the lobby for a moment.

"I have no idea where Lucy lives," he realizes aloud. He has no choice but to pull out his phone and call her. The phone only rings once after she answers.

"Hello?"

"Where do you live?" he demands.

"I'm on the fourth floor," she responds slowly. "Third door to the left."

"Okay," he replies before hanging up.

Knowing that the elevator would be too slow, Natsu takes deep breaths as he hikes up the four floors. When he reaches her floor, he notices that he has been here before.

As Lucy calmly sets her phone back on the counter, her heartrate instantly speeds up. Not only because she has missed the sound of Natsu's voice, but because she has no idea what is going on.

She wants to know how close Natsu is, so it'd give her enough time to prepare for what is about to happen. Meanwhile, Levy obliviously sits on the couch and watches TV.

Lucy is about to tell her that Natsu may be coming, but she doesn't get the chance to. A round of persistent knocks sound on the front door. Lucy gulps as she watches Levy stand up and head for the door.

Levy opens the door with a smile. "Hello—"

On cue, Levy yelps and instinctively slams the door. She turns to Lucy with wide eyes.

"I'm going to my room. I can't do this right now," Levy states as she rushes into her room.

Lucy rises from her seat with trembling hands, forcing herself to open the door. She can feel her breath escape her body as her eyes connect with Natsu's.

His eyes flick behind her for a moment. "She wasn't a real doctor, was she?"

"N-No, she wasn't," Lucy nervously laughs.

He lifts his brows, but then dismisses it. "Well, that's not what I'm here for. Can I come in?"

Lucy stands back to invite him in. Now that he's in her home, she feels vulnerable. She sits on the arm of the couch as Natsu rubs the back of his neck.

"I read your article. Is it true?"

Lucy freezes for a moment until she slowly begins to nod. "I meant every word."

They stare at one another, feeling a familiar ripple of electricity form between them. Even though only three days have passed since they separated, it feels so much longer than that.

"Come with me to Acalypha," Natsu says immediately.

Lucy's jaw drops before she can stop it. "Wait, what?"

"I got a job offer over there," he reveals. "You can reinvent yourself. We can do everything we've ever dreamed of."

There's a ringing in Lucy's ears, which tells her she's not in the right state of mind to be deciding like this. But this feeling inside of her is too evident to suppress. She slowly opens her mouth, her voice soft.

"Are we running away from Magnolia?"

Natsu shakes his head. "No, we're chasing our dreams."

A grin forms on Lucy's lips. Finally, their dreams have aligned.

"Let's do it! Let's go to Acalypha!" She excitedly jumps up.

"Yes!" Natsu exclaims. He doesn't hesitate to wrap Lucy in a hug, spinning her around as they share delighted laughs.

Once he sets her down, she blinks a few times in realization. "This is happening. We're leaving Magnolia."

There's a sound behind Lucy; she turns around to hear Levy clearing her throat.

"Levy," Lucy says hesitantly. "What do you think?"

"Follow your heart, Lu," Levy replies with a warm smile. "I'm supporting you, remember?"

Lucy swallows as she returns her gaze to Natsu. "Wait. You're not mad at me?"

Natsu takes one of her hands and brushes his thumb across her knuckles. "I also came here to apologize to you. I should have cut the bet off with Gray the moment we met."

"But you wouldn't have gotten the opportunity in Acalypha," Lucy reminds him. "I'm the one who shouldn't have done the experiment."

"It looks like both of us need an extra chance at redemption and forgiveness," he replies gently.

Lucy's heart leaps into her throat at his words. It isn't until now when she realizes she has overlooked a crucial part of compassion—having it for others means you must also have compassion for yourself.

Although she isn't sure why, tears well up in her eyes.

"Thank you, Natsu," she whispers.

Natsu sends her a smile, causing warmth to dwell inside both of their chests.

"When do we leave?" Lucy questions.

"The day after tomorrow," he responds. "I can help you pack your things."

Lucy nods gratefully. She looks over her shoulder to find Levy with puffy eyes.

"I'm going to miss you so much!" Levy shouts as she rushes to wrap her arms around Lucy's shoulders from behind. "Natsu, you better take care of her, okay?!"

"I promise," Natsu says firmly. "I'm going to make sure of it."

Lucy can't help but laugh as Levy happily cries in her arms.

Suddenly, everything feels to be shifting into place. Natsu is redeemed, Lucy is forgiven, and they are both ready to take on Acalypha.

And just like that, a new page has turned over—together at last.

* * *

**Well, there we have it! Finally, together! I love cheesy/cliche rom-coms so much. **

**As much as I love angst, I love an innocent fluff every once in a while. Isn't it great that we just get to read our OTP fall in love like 10,000 times and it never gets old? **

**I would just like to thank every single one of you for joining this story. It was hard to estimate who actually remembered me on this site, but those of you have reviewed have made me feel very loved and recognized 3 So, thank you!**

**I'm honestly not sure when I'll return, but I know it'll happen eventually! Nalu still has my heart, no matter how long it has been.**

**If you'd like to see more of me, I spend more time on Tumblr! My username is amehanaaa.**

**I will also be creating a blog later this summer as I travel to Japan. If you'd like to read it while I'm abroad, let me know and I'll share the link with you!**

**As always, thank you for your love and support. Writing professionally is a dream right now, but you all make me feel like it's possible someday. Please, take care of yourselves! Happy summer!**


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